Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
by la z boy
Summary: The crew of the Black Pearl sail under the command of Captain Barbossa to World's End. But after Jack shows up unexpectedly, they discover the real reason behind the journey. WE. COMPLETE!
1. The Mission

Chapter 1

"So, tell me, what has become of my ship," asked Barbossa as he bit into his trademark green apple. A yellow-toothed grin spread across his face.

Everyone else in the room, except Tia Dalma, stood in stunned silence. Their bewildered eyes were glued to the pirate they had believed to be dead for five years now. Elizabeth's mouth slightly hung open in shock. After a few moments, Will suddenly whipped out his sword.

"What are _you_ doing here," Will asked sharply.

Barbossa chuckled in his usual manner and looked to Tia Dalma, waiting for her to provide the million-dollar answer to the million-dollar question.

"I bring him back from the dead. We make a deal that he has to pay me back before he becomes a free man," replied Tia Dalma in her usual playful yet loopy tone.

"Why?"

"Like you, William Turner, I could tell that he had a certain destiny about him. A destiny to guide you to what you want the most."

Barbossa started to descend the rest of the stairs. Finally on level ground, he strutted over to lean casually on a table. "Believe me, I'm not too crazy about this idea either, but we always have to do things we don't want to do."

"But you hate Jack," said Elizabeth with no trace of a tone in her voice that suggested that she absolutely despised this man.

"True," replied Barbossa, "but in order for me to regain my freedom in the world, I'm afraid I find myself to have to oblige to your request, and not be disinclined to acquiesce it." He turned to look at Will. "You can put that away, Mr. Turner. It won't do me any good to slice you in half."

Will begrudgingly slid his sword back into his hilt, his gaze never leaving the mutineer.

"Now, I believe no one answered my question. Where's my ship?"

"It went down with Jack," Elizabeth forced out, clearly still upset about what she had done. Deep inside her, she knew that she had done the right thing, in a way. The Kraken _did _just want Jack, not them. But in saving five lives, she had also ended another. Nothing was able to stop the wave of guilt that had been sweeping over her for the past few hours. It was Barbossa's voice that brought Elizabeth out of her thoughts.

"Like they say, the captain goes down with the ship. Even if it wasn't really his," he said with the smallest hint of amusement in his voice.

It took every fiber inside Elizabeth's moral being not to strangle Barbossa right then and there. She knew that Jack and Barbossa both shared the same amount of hatred for each other, but Elizabeth still thought that even someone like Barbossa should show at least a little bit of respect.

"So how do we sail to World's End without a ship?" Those were the first words that Gibbs had spoken since Barbossa revealed himself.

"Don't fret your hairy little head over that," Tia Dalma spoke up. "I already have a means of transportation arranged." She walked over to the window and pointed out to the sea. Elizabeth was the first one to arrive there and gaze out in awe.

There, on the shallow waters, illuminated by the torches and candles of the mourners outside, floated what appeared to be a ship. But not just any ship. A ship that everyone in the dimly lit cabin recognized upon first glance: The Black Pearl. But how could that be? Elizabeth herself had seen the Pearl sink into the depths of the ocean with...

She stopped. She couldn't bear to think about her own little act of piracy.

"Is that really..." Will broke the silence.

"The Black Pearl...II," Tia Dalma gleefully finished for him.

"But...how did you...?"

"I work in mysterious ways, Mr. Turner. Have you forgotten whose cabin you're currently in?"

Will walked over to her. "Then I suppose since you've provided us with a ship, you plan on us following your rules?"

"That is exactly what's floating around inside my head," she grinned.

The rest of the crew turned to her expectantly.

"Your task is a simple one. Keep sailing North until you cross a thick fog. There, you will discover that the blue sky has turned a deep shade of purple, the water as black as the night, and all traces of life have been replaced by the odious stench of death and despair. World's End: The heaven, and sometimes hell, for dead pirates. If your will for Jack to return to the land of the living is strong enough, then he will be reborn. But beware, there may be some there and along the way who will try to stand in your way. Both dead and alive."

After Tia Dalma finished, a subdued silence followed. Elizabeth felt shivers of fear running down her spine. _Dead and alive?_ The thought chilled her to the bone. It was the first time in a while that she felt even the slightest sense of fear. But she knew that as long as she would face these dangers along with Will, then she could summon up the courage to get her mission accomplished.

"Can we have another jar of dirt," Pintel asked nervously.

Both Will and Elizabeth rolled their eyes at the stupid question.

"You set sail tomorrow at sunrise. I suggest that you all get some rest. You'll need it."

Everyone nodded. Tomorrow their quest would begin, and Elizabeth wouldn't feel as bad as she did now because she would be doing something to help clear her conscience.

Everyone started to find a place to sleep. As Will swept past Elizabeth, she could tell something was wrong with him. She especially noticed when he settled down on top of a few blankets and a pillow without wishing her or kissing her goodnight. After that, it only took a few seconds for realization to hit her. _He saw me!_


	2. Making Up

Chapter 2

The next night, the Black Pearl II was slowly making its way toward its destination. It had been at sea since dawn, and neither the ship itself nor the crew aboard showed any signs of exhaustion. Earlier that day, Tia Dalma had provided the crew with all the necessities that they would need for the voyage. Of course, some seemed a bit unorthodox. She had also even provided them with other crewmates, friends of hers who were entirely in her debt for past favors.

Since they had set sail, Barbossa had been barking orders left and right. He was obviously enjoying himself, what with being a captain again and all.

Below deck, inside his personal quarters, Will was quietly sifting through his thoughts. Those thoughts mainly centering on Elizabeth kissing Jack before having abandoned the Pearl. It was up until that moment that he thought he knew Elizabeth. Now, after that kiss, he had no idea who she was anymore. The thing that bothered him the most was how passionate the kiss had looked and how upset Elizabeth seemed when she had gotten into the escape boat.

What he felt inside himself now could be compared to a hatchet being stuck in the middle of his heart. Before Will knew it, a silent tear was sliding down his cheek.

Up on deck, Elizabeth was deep in her own silent thoughts. Last night she realized just how much she had hurt Will. He was the man that was meant for her, and she had crushed his heart when she had delivered that fatal kiss to Jack's lips. She couldn't bear the new wave of guilt that was drowning her now. Elizabeth had finally made her decision; she needed to tell Will the truth.

Making her way down to his room, she quickly went over what she was going to tell him. She would tell him that the kiss was only meant to save themselves from death; to allow them a future together. But she quickly realized that telling Will that she was responsible for Jack's death meant that he might get more angry at her. But still, she had to try.

Reaching his door and hesitating for a few seconds, she knocked.

"Come in," Will replied gruffly from inside.

Elizabeth opened the door and stepped in.

When Will saw who just came in, his demeanor suddenly became cold.

"Can I help you with something," he asked in a steely tone.

Before replying, Elizabeth closed the door behind her. "Will," she began softly, "we need to talk."

"What about?"

"I think you know."

"You mean you wish to talk about that little kiss you shared with Jack back on the Pearl? Sometimes actions speak for words, Elizabeth."

"You have to know that the kiss meant _nothing_ at all."

"Well, from the looks of it, it certainly did seem like it meant something."

Elizabeth took a deep breath before confessing to Will. "Alright, look. The reason I kissed Jack was to distract him while I handcuffed him to the Pearl."

Will said nothing, he just stared at her disbelievingly. He couldn't believe what Elizabeth was telling him. She was saying that she was literally responsible for Jack's death!

"I realized that The Kraken only wanted him, not us," Elizabeth continued, "and I thought that, in some way, I would be doing the right thing."

_The right thing_, Elizabeth shuddered at those words. It was only a few days ago that she herself had lectured Jack on doing the right thing.

"_I love those moments,"_ he had replied, _"I like to wave at them as they_ _pass by."_ Despite herself, Elizabeth smiled inwardly at his words.

"And the right thing was sacrificing Jack," Will shot back.

Those words were all it took. Right then and there, tears started to stream down Elizabeth's face. "Will, I'm so sorry," she choked out. "But know that in doing so, I was thinking about our future together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can't bear to think about us being robbed of all the time we have left all because...we were being punished for someone else's stupid actions. I love you, Will."

It was with those words that all feelings of jealousy and hurt evaporated from Will. He saw how genuine her confession was and couldn't bare to see her like this. Immediately, he went over and tightly embraced Elizabeth as she let all her feelings out on his chest.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," he croaked. "I...jumped to conclusions too fast. I know that you would never hurt me like that. Mark my words, we will find Jack, together."

Elizabeth looked up deeply into his eyes before kissing him with all the feeling that she could. At that moment, for the first time since yesterday, she felt like herself again. Deepening the kiss even more and not breaking it off, they both made their way toward Will's bed. Will opened one eye to examine it. _Small, but it'll do._


	3. The Deal

Chapter 3

The next morning, many miles away in Port Royal, Lord Cutler Beckett sat behind his desk staring intently at the sack that contained the heart of Davy Jones. He was also silently contemplating the proposition that Norrington made to him only two days ago.

_Beckett, lost for words, was only able to just stare down at the beating heart of one of the most notorious pirates sailing the seas._

"_Where did you get this?"_

"_I was able to take it out of the possession of someone I happen to know you're after. A certain Jack Sparrow," Norrington replied. _

_Beckett looked from Norrington to the heart, then back to Norrington, and the heart again. "I take it that something like this doesn't come without a price?"_

_Norrington nodded._

_Beckett rose from his desk and walked out in front of it, nodding curtly to the guards who had a firm grip on both of Norrington's arms. They immediately released their grip and dismissed themselves from the room, as did the rest of the guards standing watch. Now, it was just Beckett and Norrington. They were free to discuss business. Beckett walked over to a small table, on which sat a bottle of wine and two glasses. Beckett uncorked the bottle and filled up both of the glasses. He then strutted over to Norrington and handed him one of the glasses. Norrington took it without a word._

"_Talk," Beckett commanded._

"_First off," Norrington started, "I would like my rank as Commodore back."_

_Beckett shrugged simply and smirked. "I can't make promises as extreme as that until I know what I'm agreeing to."_

_Norrington sighed and took a sip from his glass. "Very well, as you wish. You were using Turner and Swann to track down Sparrow. He had a compass in his possession, a compass that pointed to the heart of Davy Jones," Norrington nodded at the thumping heart on Beckett's desk. "You knew that this heart is the key to tracking down and killing every known pirate that's left in these waters, and it still is."_

_Norrington paused for a moment as he waltzed over to the full-sized map that was hanging on Beckett's wall._

"_But, my Lord, have you considered the leverage that you now have? Leverage over Davy Jones himself." He paused yet again, letting these words sink into Beckett. "Use Jones' desire to get his heart back against him and force him to help us rid the seas of piracy. Then, and only then, will you be the most feared and respected man to sail these seas." _

_A knowing look came across Beckett's face. After a few moments of silence, he found his voice again. "I must admit, you do strike an interesting bargain, Norrington. But I'm not so sure a mere rank as Commodore is all you want."_

"_Correct," Norrington said. "In addition to a rank, I would also have control of most of your fleet. As well as credit for the find. With a fleet under my command, there would be no pirate who would be spared. We both share the same hatred for pirates, and together we would be virtually unstoppable."_

_Beckett said nothing, just kept staring._

"_And let's not forget, Lord Beckett, there's still the one pirate out there that you haven't captured yet, but initially intended to. Jack Sparrow. And as an added bonus, he's with two people who you had officially arrested earlier this week. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Killing Sparrow and them would send your message to every pirate and swashbuckler out there to watch their backs. This heart represents the end of piracy as we know it, and I'm positive that you intend to use it to your advantage."_

_Beckett was still silent. After what seemed like five minutes, he spoke up. "There's only one question I have for you, Mr. Norrington. How do we find Davy Jones?"_

_Norrington smirked at that. "We don't have to. I'm sure the heart will "call out to him", if you will. It's only a matter of time."_

"_And Sparrow?"_

_Norrington's tone suddenly turned dark. "I'd recognize that ship of his anywhere. If you agree, then I'll be able to find it without much effort."_

_Beckett downed his entire glass of wine before giving his final answer for the day. "I'll need time to consider your proposition. In the meantime, my guards will escort you to a holding cell for the time being."_

_Beckett crossed to the door and knocked on it, signaling for the guards to return._

Beckett came out of his thoughts with a sudden jolt as his office doors opened, allowing Norrington to be escorted in by two guards. Beckett motioned for the guards to remove Norrington's shackles and they obliged. The guards then left, allowing the two men their privacy.

Before he spoke, Beckett got up to gaze out of the windowat the sea, which reflected the bright morning son.

"Alright, Norrington. We have a deal." He offered his hand to Norrington, who eagerly took it. "As for your rank, I can grant you something higher than Commodore: Admiral. I hope that doesn't affect anything."

"Absolutely not."

"Good. And you'll have command over your own small fleet, as requested."

He returned his gaze to the sea. "Take a good look, Admiral. This will probably be the last time you'll see the sea clear before it'll be stained with the blood of pirates."


	4. Searching the Wreckage

Chapter 4

Davy Jones' Locker: the place where the Black Pearl had sunk. Over the years, the location had become a desolate graveyard for sunken and destroyed ships. Every ship that now lay on the ocean floor was now encrusted with barnacles, signifying how long they had lain there. Each and every one had their own story to tell. The sound of the shallow ocean this far under the surface made it seem like these ships were singing those stories in a ghostly monotone.

The only ship that wasn't old, rotted, and decaying was the Black Pearl, or at least what was left of it. The ship that once struck fear into everyone who came into contact with it was now nothing more than a wooden wreck. The sense of fear one would get by just glancing at the imposing structure was now replaced by a sense of pity for its tragic and untimely demise. However, pity was certainly not what Davy Jones was feeling at the moment as he approached the recent shipwreck with his crew. The one and only feeling that was coursing through his inky veins at the moment was anger.

Anger that was mostly directed at the late Captain Jack Sparrow. Jones knew how much of an untrustworthy being Sparrow was, and it seemed that the foolish Captain had taken that trait all the way to his watery grave. Jones admitted to himself that he should have expected a stunt such as this from Sparrow, and Jones had cursed himself for not taking Sparrow's soul the moment he had the opportunity a few nights ago when Bootstrap Bill Turner's son had appeared in the middle of that supply ship Jones and his crew had destroyed. But Jones had put up with Sparrow's antics long enough. If The Kraken had not swallowed the buccaneer whole, Jones himself would find Sparrow's dead body and cut it into the tiniest pieces possible.

Finally, the crew of half humans, half sea creatures reached the remains of the Pearl. They quickly boarded the wreck, the small fish and other sea animals scurrying away to avoid the fury of Jones and his crew. Jones turned to his men.

"Search everywhere aboard what's left of the ship," Jones commanded. "If I know Sparrow well enough, and I do, then he would have hidden my heart someplace that wouldn't appear to be what it is."

As Jones finished barking his orders, his crew immediately went to work. Jones' eyes settled on a particular crewmate. Bootstrap Bill Turner. Bootstrap was trying to look his best to be helping in the search. Jones was not easily fooled. He thundered over to Bootstrap, forcing him to look into his menacing captain's piercing eyes.

"If you think for one minute that you'll serve your eternal-year debt to me without suffering," Jones spat through his squid tentacles, "then think again."

"I'm prepared to handle anything you throw at me, Captain," replied Bootstrap defiantly.

"You certainly do not want to test me at the moment," breathed Davy Jones. He suddenly grabbed a handful of the barnacles that were growing out of Bootstrap's face. "You never know what kind of sadistic thought is running through my head." With that, he ripped the barnacles he had hold of off Bootstrap's face and slung them away, the barnacles floating in the deep water.

Bootstrap let out a cry of pain as he grasped his face. Where the barnacles once were now displayed a gash of blood that was green, instead of red. Jones took the opportunity and kicked Bootstrap in the stomach. There were onlookers, of course, but they did not want to be punished themselves, so they carried on with their task. Jones cast a pathetic look to Bootstrap.

Get up," he ordered. When Bootstrap did not comply, Jones himself grabbed hold of his victim's back, pulling him to his feet. "I show you how serious I am, and yet you still refuse to obey me?"

"You'd be surprised at how high my threshold for pain is," Bootstrap said simply. Jones grinned sinisterly and nodded.

"Ah. I see. Pain inflicted on the outside you seem to handle nicely. But how about pain inflicted on your internal structure?"

"What are you getting at," Bootstrap questioned suspiciously. He didn't like where this was heading.

"I'm talking about all the years of pain and suffering you've had to endure under my command. I know it must be dreadful to look yourself in the mirror every day and think, "Why me? Why did I sell my soul to someone as ruthless and heartless," (Jones stressed the word "heartless") , "as the legendary Davy Jones?"

"I don't know," Bootstrap replied tonelessly. "But I think it's safe to say that you yourself find it hard to look in the mirror everyday without fearing what will start to grow out of your face next."

Jones grabbed Bootstrap's arm and twisted it around. Bootstrap breathed painfully. "You'll be lucky to have a face at all once I'm through with you." Regaining his composure, Jones returned Bootstrap to his regular position. "If you can keep your smart mouth shut long enough, then I might just be willing to offer you your freedom from my grasp."

Those words caught the attention of some nearby crewmates, who stopped their search and turned to look at the scene. After a few moments of dead silence, Bootstrap cleared his throat.

"My freedom?"

"Yes, you heard me correctly. Your freedom. The ability to be able to walk as a free man again, as well as look like a man again, without me hanging over your head. It's what every man on my ship dreams of."

Bootstrap eyed Jones suspiciously. "How do I know you're not just bluffing?"

Jones chuckled in amusement. "Have you forgotten that even though I may be a man without a heart, I always keep my promises? Remember the dice game you and I played with your son? I let him go free, didn't I?"

"Only because of my interfering," Bootstrap said.

"But still," Jones countered, "he won and I let him walk."

It was something about Jones' tone that made Bootstrap feel like he was missing something.

"And...," he began hesitantly, "you're willing to do the same thing for me?"

"Of course," Jones said, sounding shocked that Bootstrap didn't believe him. "But obviously a prize as grand as freedom from a lifetime of servitude isn't something that you can gain with just a snap of your fingers." As Jones said this, he raised his crab-claw arm and "snapped" the two claws together.

"I knew it," Bootstrap grunted. "So what is it that I have to do?"

A nasty grin spread across Jones' face after Bootstrap finished his question. Relishing the moment, Jones pulled out his pipe, lit it with a match, and huffed a few rings of smoke, which even underwater, were still able to float in the air as if they were on the surface. The last ring of smoke was directed towards Bootstrap's face, who coughed as it evaporated before him.

"Well," Bootstrap asked impatiently.

"The one and only way I'll grant you your freedom," Jones began, "is if, and only if, when you're faced with the opportunity to do so, you kill your own son. The only fly that's left in my ointment."

The on-looking crewmates all made noises of amusement as a look of pure horror spread across Bootstrap's face. Just the opposite was true for Davy Jones, as he was currently looking like he had his heart back in his hands.

"Kill my son? That's the price for my freedom?"

"I'm afraid so," Jones sneered. "But from my point of view, it's rather fitting."

"Why would you say that," Bootstrap asked sharply.

"Have you forgotten that you are the reason he escaped from the Dutchman in the first place," Jones asked accusingly. "Since you let him get away, then I think it should be your hand that holds the blade that will be driven through young Will's heart."

"Please," Bootstrap pleaded, "he's only a boy. And he's in love. He told me so himself..."

"Don't you dare attempt to lecture me on love, Turner! I was once in love, but it was my foolishness and ambition back then that caused her to be taken from me. Love is the thing that caused me to rip out my heart! Love is the reason I am the way I am! So if you think that I will let your son live just because he may have a future to share, you've certainly got another thing coming!"

Bootstrap said nothing, just stared gravely at Jones. Jones took a deep breath.

"This is the only chance you have to answer...do you want your freedom?"

Bootstrap took a moment to answer. Finally, he replied painfully, "Yes."

Jones smirked. "Excellent." He then walked away. But unbeknownst to Jones and everyone else, Bootstrap had his fingers crossed in his pocket.

_Oldest trick in the book_, he said to himself.

Half an hour later, Jones' first mate reported back to his captain with news of no success.

"He didn't have it with him after all," Jones realized. "Someone must have stolen it from right under his nose." Jones then closed his eyes to concentrate. It was then that he heard it.

_Thumpthump...Thumpthump...Thumpthump... _

It was muffled, which only meant one thing.

"It's somewhere on the surface," Jones exclaimed. "Men, back to the ship!"

As Jones and his crew made their way back onto the Flying Dutchman, Jones found himself musing about Jack Sparrow.

_Sparrow, you fool, you weren't smart enough to see if the heart was still where it should have been._

Seconds later, the Dutchman broke through the shallow sea, heading with haste in the Northeast direction...where Beckett and Norrington currently were waiting.


	5. Barbossa's Past

Chapter 5

Many miles away on the Black Pearl II, Captain Barbossa was gleefully enjoying the rank of power that had been given back to him. As captain of a ship, he felt like he was in his element; barking out orders and planning out voyages was something that seemed to come natural to him. Power had always been the one thing he craved more than anything, well, maybe not more than treasure. Before he knew it, as he was gazing nobly out at the sea from the ship, he found himself reflecting back on his past...

_As a boy, Hector Barbossa wasn't the most friendly or easiest to get along with. He had a nasty attitude and a disturbing reputation. Barbossa had grown up with his father in a pirate-infested town. The name had always escaped him; either that or he just didn't care. _

_His father was where Hector had gotten his mean-spirited demeanor. There was a time where Hector had been nicer and not so cold. But that was before his mother had died. When Maria Barbossa was still alive, everything seemed better than it should be. She had treated everyone she was close to with the utmost respect, even if they didn't deserve it. She adored her husband and son deeply. Maria could have easily been compared to an angel who had fallen from heaven._

_All that changed on a certain rainy Tuesday of the summer when Hector Barbossa was 13. He had gone out with his friends to salvage the day in whatever way possible. His father, Peter, had already left for work. He earned money for the family as a person who helped with the loading and unloading of trade ships...or so Hector and his mother thought. His real identity as a pirate he had to keep secret. The money and gold he said he "earned" really was stolen from innocent people._

_Hector and his friends had spent the day exploring the town, at least the safe parts. It was when Hector returned home later that day before dinner that he realized something was wrong. Their front door seemed to have been smashed in and one of their windows was shattered. Frightened, Hector ran inside to see if his mother was alright._

_When Hector stepped foot inside, he took in the battered appearance of their usually organized house. Pillagers had broken in sometime during the day. Fearfully, he called out for his mother._

"_Mother! Mother!"_

_He went from room to room searching for her until he finally came upon his parents' room. He cautiously stepped inside._

_There, lying on the bed, was his mother's dead body. Her chest sported a deep red gash, where she had been stabbed by a sword. In her right hand, her fingers clutched a sword of her own. Evidently, she had died trying to defend herself. Suddenly, before he knew it, a blade was at his throat. But as_ _quickly as it had come, it had gone as a familiar voice filled his ears._

"_Hector?" The word was strained._

_Hector turned around to find his father, his face stained with tears and he was holding a sword in his left hand._

"_Dad! What happened," Hector asked._

"_I'm...I'm sorry, son," his father choked out, "but some robbers broke into the house while your mother was here, and they...they...killed her."_

_At that moment, the lump that had lodged itself in the middle of Hector's throat seemed to stick like glue. Hector hugged his father as he started weeping. Both of them just stood there for a few hours, crying over the loss of the one woman that had made their lives so much better..._

_It was from that moment on that Hector Barbossa had sworn that he would sail the seas with his father, showing absolutely no mercy to those who killed for pleasure. When Hector had first raided a ship with his father, he had lost control of himself and killed as many people as he could. And after he had done that, he wanted to do it again and again and again. He loved being a pirate._

_When his father had eventually passed away, Hector took over the ship. He went to Tortuga to gather up a fresh crew of plunderers and dishonest men. But it wasn't long before that very crew committed mutiny and threw him out at sea._

_For days he had floated in the shallow ocean, a piece of driftwood becoming his only salvation. By then he had grown old. Then, just as he had given up hope and was about to die, a ship found him and pulled him aboard. The ship was named The Black Pearl and it was captained by a young man named Jack Sparrow._

_At first, after feeding him and returning to good health, Barbossa was given the duties of keeping the ship in order. But after the Pearl had been attacked by an enemy ship and Barbossa had proven how good he was with a sword, Sparrow had made the decision of making Barbossa his first mate. Barbossa enjoyed this position immensely and quickly made friends with the crewmates aboard._

_After one year of sailing on the Black Pearl, Barbossa had become fed up with how much mercy Captain Sparrow showed their victims. For a few months, at night, Barbossa and the rest of the crew met secretly, planning a mutiny. They struck at just the right time; they had learned of Cortez's secret treasure and Jack was planning to find it. When Barbossa had informed Sparrow that the location of the treasure was pretty much guaranteed and Sparrow gave up the bearings, they struck._

_Barbossa marooned Sparrow on an isolated island and then quickly went to find the treasure. Find it they did, inside the chest was gold, and they took it all. Over time they gave away the pieces for other items. But the more they gave away, the more they came to realize, that drinks of water, wine, or rum would not satisfy, food would turn to ash in their mouths, and all the pleasure that would accompany a woman could not slake their lust. They were cursed men; compelled by greed they were, but they were now consumed by it._

_The crew soon found a way to end their curse. All of the 882 identical pieces of Cortez's treasure needed to be found and put back in the treasure chest. Over time, they eventually found 881 of them; one was still not accounted for. _

_For ten years, the pirates sailed all over the world looking for it. And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the coin called out to them. They tracked it to a city called Port Royal. At night, they converged on it. Barbossa sent most of his men to search for the coin. It was the foolish Pintel and Ragetti who discovered it; around the neck of a young woman who called herself Elizabeth Turner. The last name was familiar._

_There was a member on the Pearl named Bill Turner, nicknamed Bootstrap, and before Barbossa ordered for him to be killed, he secretly sent a coin of the treasure to his child. A child that would have been this girl's age. Barbossa and his crew were cursed because of Bootstrap. He had protested against Barbossa's decision to maroon Jack, and so Barbossa tied a cannon to Bootstrap's bootstrap and sent him sinking into Davy Jones' Locker._

_Thinking their curse was finally over, Barbossa kidnapped Ms. "Turner". She claimed to be merely a maid in the governor's household. Barbossa set a course for Isla De Muerta, the island where they discovered the treasure. When they arrived, they began the blood ceremony. Barbossa placed the last coin in the girl's hand, sliced her palm with a knife, and closed her hand around the coin, causing the blood to cover the coin._

_At last! They were free of the curse! But upon checking to be certain, Barbossa discovered that they were still part of the undead! Furious, Barbossa slapped the foolish girl across the face, sending her sprawling over onto the ground below. After a short argument with his crew, Barbossa discovered that Elizabeth had escaped!_

_When he sent his men searching, matters got even more confusing when they found Jack Sparrow in the cave!_

"_How the blazes did you get off that island," Barbossa had demanded._

"_When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land you forgot one very important thing, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!"_

_Angry, Barbossa took Jack back on the Pearl and he revealed to him that Barbossa really should be after a certain Will Turner, who Jack had helped rescue Elizabeth. They had found the ship young Mr. Turner was on rather quickly, and had attacked it. In doing so, they got Mr. Turner while marooning Sparrow and Elizabeth on the very same island they had before._

_The future looked bright as they went back to the cave the next day, started the ceremony again, only to be interrupted by Sparrow yet again!_

"_It's not possible," Barbossa breathed._

"_Not probable," Sparrow replied._

_After that, Sparrow lured Barbossa and his men into a trap. Apparently the pirate had made a deal with the British Royal Navy. Not like him at all. It all ended that night when Will Turner raised the curse and Jack shot Barbossa in the heart._

"_I feel...cold," were Barbossa's last words._

_Some time later, Barbossa awakened. But how? He clearly remembered dying! He looked around. He was still in the treasure cave. But there was now a new inhabitant: a crazy-looking black woman._

_She revealed her name to be Tia Dalma and told Barbossa that she had mysterious powers that allowed her to raise him from the dead. When Barbossa asked what he could do to return the favor, Dalma simply told him to travel with her to her cabin, where she lived, and wait there one week. _

_He waited one week, until he heard familiar voices. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Apparently, they had teamed up with Jack again, helping him find the chest of Davy Jones. But, in the end, Jack had gone down with the Pearl when The Kraken had attacked it. And now here he was..._

...aboard the Black Pearl II, in command once again. He had power over a crew for the third time in his life, and he intended not to abuse it this time. He was now a reformed man. But the problem was no one who knew him from before believed it.

Sighing, Barbossa went below deck. On his way, he bumped into Elizabeth.

"Excuse me," she said. But from the tone of her voice, she didn't sound apologetic. It was then that Barbossa decided to settle the differences that existed between him, Ms. Swann, and Mr. Turner.

"Ms. Swann –," he began, but was cut off abruptly.

"I'd prefer to be called Mrs. Turner, Captain. I was _supposed_ to be married to the man I love right now."

Barbossa hesitated slightly. "Er, alright. Mrs. Turner, I realize that tension still exists between you, your fiancee, and me. And I just wanted to resolve it."

Elizabeth eyed Barbossa suspiciously. "Really? After all you put us through five years ago, you suddenly want our forgiveness for what you did?"

"Of course. I'm a changed man, Mrs. Turner. While I was dead and my soul saw what exactly lies in hell, I started to regret my decision to go rogue. After Tia Dalma reawakened me, I vowed to right the worst wrongs in my life. And that's what I'm doing now."

He filtered all the sincerity that he was feeling into his voice in order to get his point across more easily.

"But you're a pirate. And a dishonest man," Elizabeth stated.

"Correction, Mrs. Turner," said Barbossa, "I _was_ a dishonest pirate. But you must keep in mind, my dear, that dishonesty is in a pirate's blood. I couldn't help it."

"Really," Elizabeth drawled sarcastically. "You couldn't help locking me in a room, allowing your crewmates to frighten me to death, and almost kill me? Somehow, I find that hard to believe."

"Five years ago, my heart was consumed by hatred for life. But now that I've seen firsthand what the consequences for such rash actions are, I've developed a more wholesome, kinder heart."

Elizabeth snorted. "Jack once told me, "Once a pirate, always a pirate."

Barbossa chuckled. "Ah, Jack Sparrow. I'm afraid that when he told you that, he was trying to make you more attracted to pirates. In particular, him."

A look of disgust came across Elizabeth's face. "Like I'd ever want to be romantically involved with someone like Jack."

"But you did see the need to kiss him," Barbossa countered.

Disgust was replaced by confusion as Elizabeth asked, "How do you know about that?"

Barbossa guiltily smirked. "I happened to be passing by Will's door the other night and couldn't help overhearing you two making up, both with and without words."

Elizabeth looked disgusted again. "Oh, _that_ really helps to let me forgive you."

"Oh, c'mon. I was just jokin'. I didn't listen after you finished talking. Pirate's honor," Barbossa said, raising his right hand.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Personally prove to me and Will that you're a changed man, and we'll believe you."

"Very well. If, somewhere along the voyage, you and Will are in grave danger, I give you my word that I'll personally save your lives. And I also promise to pour all of my energy into finding Jack when the time has come."

Elizabeth studied Barbossa for a few moments, hoping to spot any signs that would give him away. Ultimately finding none, she held out her hand and smiled slightly. Barbossa took her hand and shook it.

"Very well, Captain," Elizabeth said, "we've come to an understanding. After all, if you can't trust a pirate, who can you trust?"

"_Ex_-pirate, my dear," Barbossa smiled, "_ex_-pirate. Although, I believe it should be_ I_ calling _you _a pirate. I mean, kissing someone to distract them while you escape and they die," Barbossa smiled, "I would call that very pirate-like. But that doesn't mean nothin'," he added quickly. "Oh, and please inform young Will of my reform."

With that said, Barbossa turned and headed to the Captain's Quarters, leaving Elizabeth alone to silently contemplate those words. After a few moments, she headed towards Will's room and entered.

When Will saw who it was, he smiled warmly. "Hello."

Ever since he and Elizabeth had settled things, they had been especially affectionate towards each other.

"Hey," Elizabeth said distantly.

Immediately, Will could tell something was bothering her.

"Liz, something the matter?"

"Oh no," she said, a little bit too quickly.

Will, smiling affectionately, put away the map he was looking at before and patted the empty space on the bed beside him.

"C'mon. Something's bothering you, I can tell. Let's talk about it."

Elizabeth obliged, sitting on the bed beside him and putting her head on his shoulder.

"It's just...I've been thinking about what Jack and Barbossa said to me."

"And what exactly did they say to you," Will asked as he stroked her hair.

"That I could wind up being a pirate in the future," said Elizabeth after a short pause.

Will chuckled at the thought. "You? A pirate? No, you're too much of an angel to become a pirate."

Elizabeth looked up into Will's eyes and smiled. "Thanks, but really think about it. I mean, look at what I did to Jack. That _has_ to be the mark of a pirate."

"The only reason you did that is because you were thinking about _us, _and I certainly don't hold what you did against you for that very reason," Will said as he pulled her into a one-armed hug.

Elizabeth smiled at those words and snuggled up closer to Will. "I'm sure you're right. It's just...growing up I was never the model young woman. I was independent, and only found girls' activities amusing sparingly. I enjoy them more a little bit now, but even still, I want to be part of what the men do as well."

"And that's one of your best qualities," Will cooed, "and I don't know about you, but that certainly doesn't say "pirate" to me."

"Well, one of _your_ best qualities is your honesty," Elizabeth purred. She then proceeded to kiss him deeply.

"But I will say," Will managed between kisses, "that you certainly kiss like a pirate."

Elizabeth squealed at the comment and punched him playfully.

"Kidding! I was just kidding," Will said, grinning broadly. Smiling, Elizabeth then got back to business. Will and Elizabeth then enjoyed their "snogging" session for quite some time after that.


	6. New Admiral & An Agreement

Chapter 6

Norrington breathed in the smell of fresh sea water as he stood on the docks of Port Royal. He had washed up, combed his hair, but had decided not to shave the scraggly beard that he had gained over the recent five years. He found that he rather enjoyed the rugged appearance. In addition to combing his hair, he had also cut it to a more decent length.

_An Admiral still needs to make a good impression,_ he thought to himself. He also now sported the traditional Admiral uniform. Norrington remembered many years ago when he dreamed of donning the Admiral's suit. He had been ambitious to get promoted to Commodore first back then, and over time, he had ultimately achieved his goal. Now, as Norrington looked himself over, he had to admit that he didn't look half-bad in the suit.

To Norrington, a Navy uniform not only represented rank within the Navy, but also the character of the men who wore them. And he knew Admiral was certainly more commanding than Commodore, which meant Norrington was able to relish this little shift of power. At the moment, he had one thing on his mind: ridding the seas of every pirate still sailing them. The age of piracy was now coming to a close, and Norrington intended to be a part of it, one way or the other.

From behind, Beckett approached.

"Feel at home," he asked.

"Quite," Norrington replied. "When do we set sail?"

'In exactly one hour. I took the liberty of informing my master that the East India Trading Company now possesses the heart of Davy Jones."

"And whoever has the heart controls the seas," Norrington finished for him.

"And Jones himself," Beckett said. "Also, Admiral, my superiors are highly impressed with your work on obtaining the heart. And it is my pleasure to inform you that the moment the seas are pirate-free, you will be permanently granted your rank as Admiral."

Norrington turned to Beckett, not sure if he heard correctly.

"Really," was all he managed to get out.

"Yes. The Trading Company obviously had some say in the decision, but the King is ultimately willing to offer you this position for good."

"Excellent," Norrington breathed. "Now, my Lord, if you intend to start out with a massive strike on piracy in order to get your message clear, then there's only one place you'll need to go."

"Oh really," Beckett asked, "And where might that be?"

Norrington smiled before he answered. "A little island that's literally overrun with pirates called Tortuga."

Beckett nodded. "And what exactly is your battle strategy?"

"Simple," Norrington replied. "Burn it to the ground."

Beckett took a moment to give his answer. "I thought you said the only way to make my message clear was to find and kill Sparrow."

"And if Sparrow happens to be there when we set the town ablaze, then consider that an added bonus."

"You realize, of course Admiral, that burning a town to the ground would cause a ripple of controversy among my superiors."

"I'm sure they of all people would understand the drastic steps that need to be taken when waging a war on a scale as grand as this," Norrington stated. "Anyway, why would you give a damn what they think when you're actually attempting to do something about piracy?"

Beckett considered these words. The Admiral did have a point.

"Very well. We'll carry out your plan. But if we discover Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann in Tortuga," Beckett said, "then we place them back under arrest. I would rather them spend the rest of their days rotting away in prison than to just simply meet their untimely demise rather abruptly."

Norrington sneered. "Understood."

"And when we arrive in Tortuga," Beckett continued, "I'm sure we'll bump into Davy Jones himself." Beckett indicated the sack containing Jones' heart, which was tied to his belt.

"One more thing," Norrington concluded, "if we do indeed find Sparrow and his crew in Tortuga, then we dessimate his ship; the Black Pearl."

"Of course. Why would we not?"

An hour later, Beckett and Norrington were aboard their Naval ship, heading for the town of Tortuga.

Tortuga was the place many pirates called paradise as well as a home away from home. It was filled with two of the things that every pirate lives for: attractive women and, more importantly, rum. If Tortuga were to have an unlimited amount of treasure, however, no pirate would ever leave.

By day, Tortuga seemed like a decent town. But at night, all chaos broke loose. Rum would be drunk by the gallons, drunken men would chase after sober and sensible women, and senseless violence would erupt on the streets. If every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted. The reason behind that is the number of prostitutes that roam the streets at night, looking for a suitable man.

Countless times, the Navy had tried to take it out of commission, but to no avail. Every time it was attempted, every inhabitant of Tortuga would rally in protest and drive the Navy away. After countless failures, the Navy decided to give up and wait for Tortuga to cause its own demise.

Night had fallen once again, and madness had risen in the process. No one in the streets or near the docks seemed to notice the ghostly ship called The Flying Dutchman arriving at port. The drunken fools didn't even see the monstrous sea creature-like crew step off the ship and enter the city through the shadows.

Perhaps the only two people that did take notice were Lord Cutler Beckett and Admiral James Norrington. They were standing on the roof of the local pub. Beckett turned to Norrington.

"Well, Admiral," Beckett said, "it looks as if the war on piracy has officially begun."

"Quite right. Now, come. It's time to make our business proposition."

Both men turned to return to lower ground, when they discovered themselves face-to-face with Davy Jones and his ghastly crew. All Beckett and Norrington could do was stare in awe.

Jones smirked. "You know, it's really not polite to stare."

Amused at the shocked state of the two humans before him, he idly pulled out his pipe and began to smoke.

"Let's get right down to business," Jones intoned dangerously. "I believe you two have something that belongs to me."

Beckett quickly re-composed himself, mentally and physically. "Davy Jones," he began, "an honor to finally meet you." Beckett formally stuck out his hand for Jones to take.

Pipe still clutched between his teeth, Jones took Beckett's hand and shook it rather forcefully. When Jones released his grip, Beckett's hand was covered in slime. "As long as we're making formal greetings," Jones said, "You are...?"

"Lord Cutler Beckett," Beckett introduced himself while slipping out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiping his slimy hand clean.

"And as I was saying before, Lord Beckett, I believe that you have a certain item in your possession that rightfully belongs to me."

"Ah, yes," Beckett said, pulling out the sack in which was Jones' heart.

"I'm not trying to make small talk here," Jones spat, his tentacles raising in anger, "I want my heart back!"

"And I assure you, Mr. Jones, that you will receive it," Beckett answered, "But all in due time. I happen to know how valuable this is to you. And I'm willing to hand it back over to you, for a small fee that is."

Jones eyed Beckett angrily. "Exactly what type of fee are we talking about here?"

Beckett took a deep breath. "You see, Mr. Jones, Admiral Norrington and myself here are about to wage a war on piracy. And given that you and your crew have certain...methods of persuasion with your enemies, if you will, we were hoping that you'd be obliged to lend a helping hand."

Jones seemed to be glaring blades at the two overstuffed humans standing in front of him. Taking the pipe out of his mouth, Jones momentarily considered the offer. "And if I agree to this, you swear that when every single pirate has been put in their place, you'll hand over my heart?"

"I'm a man of my word, Mr. Jones," Beckett replied.

"As am I, Beckett," Jones informed him.

"Good. So, we should be able to understand each other. Your crew looks like it's composed of men who crave for a reason to spill more blood than they need to, so consider this that reason."

Jones mulled things over in his head, his face giving off no hints whatsoever. Finally, Jones gave his answer.

"Very well, Beckett. We have an accord."

"Excellent!"

"But," Jones said, "I feel I must ask you, do you have a specific plan?"

"Absolutely." It was the first time Norrington spoke after meeting the infamous Davy Jones. "We intend to find and kill Jack Sparrow. We believe that should send our message clearly."

"No, no, no," Jones said, as if correcting a child over a petty mistake. "You obviously didn't know this, but poor Jack Sparrow was killed three days ago by The Kraken."

"Excuse me? The what?"

"Kraken. I call it my little "pet". It's a rather gigantic squid," Jones said, seeing Beckett and Norrington's confused faces.

"Ah. So what do you propose we do," Norrington asked.

"Let me ask you, have you heard of World's End?"

Both men shook their heads and Jones sighed.

"Well, every pirate has," Jones continued. "It's the one place where all the souls of dead pirates go. It can be both heaven and hell."

"So are you suggesting we sail to World's End," Beckett asked quizzically.

"Yes," Jones said, annoyed that he had to go through this step by step.

"And what exactly will we find when we reach World's End?"

"The very spirit of piracy itself," Jones explained.

"Which is...represented in a soul," Norrington concluded.

"Exactly. But not just any soul."

"Jack Sparrow's soul, I take it," Beckett asked.

"Hell no. A pirate that outmatches even Sparrow himself," Jones said as a maniacal grin spread across his face.

Now, Beckett and Norrington were as confused as ever.

"Who, then," Norrington demanded.

"The one and only pirate that's more double-handed and scheming than Jack Sparrow...his father."

"His father," it wasn't as much of a question as it was simply just a statement as Beckett repeated the words. "I didn't know Sparrow's father was even dead. But I have heard of him."

"Yes," Jones started to reminisce, "James Sparrow, Sr. Jack is the fleeting image of his father. Jack was sort of an apprentice to his father's master, if you will. Everything Jack Sparrow knows about being a pirate he learned firsthand from his father. James Sparrow died as the greatest pirate of his time, so naturally, in the afterlife he represents the spirit of piracy around the world."

"So," Norrington finished, "if we kill Sparrow's reincarnated form, which would still represent piracy, then piracy itself would die out."

"Correct," said Jones.

"But," Beckett cut in, "I see one flaw in your plan. How do we bring Sparrow back from the dead?"

Jones rolled his eyes impatiently. "Simple. We will ourselves to want to bring him back as much as we do when we reach World's End, and he'll come back to the land of the living. And it shouldn't be hard because you desperately need him in order to kill every pirate out there."

Norrington let slip a scoff of what sounded like amusement.

"Something funny, Admiral," Jones asked accusingly.

"Certainly not," said Norrington, "I just thought that it would be a little bit more complicated than that."

"You'd be surprised at how powerful human feelings such as confidence can be," replied Jones. "But then again, I find myself robbed of the power to feel _any _emotions."

He indicated the heart.

"I guarantee you, Mr. Jones," Beckett said, "that when you've helped us accomplish our goal, then you will be given back that opportunity."

Silence settled over the three negotiators for a short while after that. Suddenly, something beyond Beckett and Norrington seemed to catch Jones' eye.

"Well, I'll be damned," Jones breathed.

"What is it," Beckett asked suspiciously.

"Turn around."

Beckett did so, finding himself not only facing the wide expanse of Tortuga and the sea, but also something else that peaked his interest.

"Is that what I think it is," Beckett finally managed to get out.

"That cursed ship...The Black Pearl! But it's not possible! The Kraken sank it!"

"Obviously, we're dealing with mystical powers at work," Norrington said in awe.

Surprised and infuriated, Jones turned to his crew. "Men, prepare for battle!"


	7. Arriving In Tortuga

Chapter 7

Aboard the Black Pearl II, every crew member was doing what they could to contribute to sailing into port at Tortuga. Earlier in the day, they had discovered a shortage of supplies. Mainly rum, but as well as other necessities needed for a successful voyage.

Will and Elizabeth had been helping out wherever it was called for. They, unlike the rest of the crew, seemed to have the most stamina for hard work. The majority of the crew had done some work here and there, but then just sat back lazily in their cabins, leaving the rest to everyone else; everyone else mainly referring to Will and Elizabeth.

Now, however, there was no time for just lying around. Tortuga had not initially been intended as a pit-stop, but due to the sudden supply shortage, it became required. Nothing could impede the voyage to World's End. This quick restock needed to take as little time as possible.

As the Pearl was tied to the docks, everybody onboard couldn't help but notice the ship they had docked beside. A ship that was now imprinted into Will and Elizabeth's memories after their last encounter with it. The Flying Dutchman. Davy Jones' ghostly ship.

Elizabeth looked at it, jumping to the only conclusion immediately. "Davy Jones is here," she whispered.

Will eyed it suspiciously. "You don't think he's been tracking us, do you?"

"Maybe, but I seriously doubt it," Elizabeth replied. "I would assume that he got the chest back when the Pearl went down."

Will paused for a moment as they and the rest of the crew started trekking through the town. "How much would you want to bet that his heart _wasn't_ in the chest?"

Elizabeth became confused all of a sudden. "Then where did it go?"

After thinking hard for a few moments, Will's face darkened. The next word he spoke was dripping with hatred. "Norrington," he breathed.

Realization dawned on Elizabeth as a look of loathing swept over her own face. "He turned out to be a pirate after all."

"And I bet you anything that he took it to Beckett. Because whoever has Davy Jones' heart controls the seas."

"Do you think Norrington and Beckett are here with him?"

"If they are, then we better stay on alert. I need to inform Barbossa."

"I'm coming with you."

Will and Elizabeth hung back for a moment until they were beside Barbossa.

"Somethin' the matter," Barbossa asked, seeing the looks on their faces.

"Actually yes," Will began, and then he proceeded to fill their temporary Captain in on the situation.

"Then we'd best stay on alert," said Barbossa, drawing his sword. Will and Elizabeth followed suit. Noticing this action, Gibbs turned to Will.

"So I take it we need to be prepared for a surprise attack by Jones," he asked.

Will nodded curtly. As a precaution anyway, most of the crew had come armed in case such an event like this would arise. Upon Gibbs' silent command, everyone got their weapons at the ready.

Will and Elizabeth were both scanning every inch of Tortuga that was within sight. They both knew that Jones possessed the element of surprise, and he would certainly use that to his advantage. Although, they were pretty sure that Jones wouldn't attack out in the open with villagers crowding the streets, not that any of them would notice.

All around the crew, drunks were firing off shots from pistols; some being blanks, but others being most definitely real. Others were dragging tied up people through the streets and some were just simply brawling.

Elizabeth found herself deeply disgusted. Even though she had briefly been here a few nights ago, she had still not grown accustomed to how stupid pirates could get when drunk. Although, she had gotten the picture pretty well when Jack became drunk.

The crew finally reached the supply building and entered. When everyone was inside and the door was closed, it was if someone had flicked the _off_ switch for the world. The roar of chaos was replaced by the pang of silence.

The supply building was dimly lit by candles and torches lining the walls. The room the crew was in contained barrels of gunpowder, swords, bottles of rum, and other necessities needed for a successful voyage. Barbossa turned to the crew.

"Take what we need," he commanded.

Many crew members began to gather up what they were after, which included many barrels of gunpowder, rope, etc. Will and Elizabeth stood guard, wanting anxiously to return to the Pearl. Suddenly, a cold voice pierced the silence.

"A little short on supplies, are we?"

From the shadows, Davy Jones and his crew emerged just like demons out of hell. Within seconds, the creatures had the humans completely surrounded.

"I must admit," Jones sneered, "I believed you all went down with Jack."

"We abandoned ship," Will retorted hotly.

"Ah," Jones said, "you shouldn't expect nothing more from a crew of pirates."

Will could tell that the insult struck a nerve in Elizabeth. He immediately put a firm hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Not yet."

"I thought you couldn't set foot on land every ten years," Elizabeth shot at Jones.

"I can when it concerns re-obtaining my stolen heart or a deal I made with the current owner of it," Jones sneered.

"So Beckett and Norrington are here," Will said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes they are, but I'm afraid me and my crew have to keep you occupied at the moment." Jones whipped out his sword.

Without hesitation, Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa, and the rest of the crew got into battle positions. Jones' crew did the same.

"What fun," Jones drawled.

After those words were spoken, both crews of pirates advanced on each other.


	8. Duel

Chapter 8

Swords clanged, fists threw, and madness had been unleashed. The fury with which the battle inside was happening could not compare to the small brawls in progress outside. It was pirate vs. pirate, a lethal fight no matter how you looked at it.

Will was the most ferocious. Since he was a blacksmith, he had more experience with swords than anyone else in the room. The pirate creature he was currently squaring off against, however, seemed to be a pretty fair match. Will maneuvered his blade in every way possible, outmatching his opponent easily. The two fighters made their way around the room, each one of them never losing focus.

Will lunged with his blade and it was easily dodged. The pirate then advanced on Will, the two blades a blur. Will managed to slip in a slice on his opponent's arm, causing a deep gash. Unhinged, the pirate kept on going. After a few more swipes and maneuvering, Will managed to swing his blade down on the creature's left hand, cutting it off completely. The crewmate paused momentarily to examine the damage, and then, angrier, he continued on.

Will retreated to a piece of floor that stepped up, and hopped on it. Just as he did, Will's opponent swung his sword at Will's feet. Will caught this motion and jumped up just in time. Then, Will swung his blade back and forth, cutting into the monstrous pirate's chest. The cuts were deep enough, and small sea creatures spilled out from the gashes. Will glanced at them in brief disgust, but went back to his duel. Will kicked the nasty figure in the head, causing the pirate to be out of commission momentarily, but that's all Will needed.

In that instant, Will ran his blade through the spot on the villain's chest where the heart should have been. And thankfully, it was there. The gruesome pirate dropped lifeless to the floor as Will removed his blade. Will then jumped back into the chaos.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was doing pretty well herself. Will had trained her well with a sword over the years, and it certainly had paid off. She was nigh untouchable. On top of that, she was battling two of Davy Jones' crew at once. She kept her focus on both pirates as she swung her blade back and forth. When the first pirate tried to slice her, she easily shoved the blade away, spun on her feet in a circle, and swung her own blade under the first pirate's knees. The force of the blow sent both legs rolling away.

"Bugger," the pirate yelled.

While that pirate was trying to steady himself on the stubs, Elizabeth started dueling with her second opponent. The two duelers fought steady, anticipating each other's next move. Elizabeth didn't show any signs of being exhausted. She put every ounce of her strength into each swing of her blade as the battle persisted.

Meanwhile, Will was now on his third adversary. Will kept on fighting until his blade was knocked out of his grasp. He dove to retrieve it, but the pirate was too quick for him, having picked it up and was grinning sinisterly. Will smiled back a little sheepishly, looking around. His gaze settled on a hatchet hanging from the nearby wall.

Dodging a double attack, Will raced for the weapon. He reached it almost immediately. He then lifted it up, grasped it firmly, and launched it toward the charging enemy. It hit its mark: the middle of the chest. A look of triumph on his face, Will ran over as the pirate's body fell to the ground. Instead of just his sword, Will picked up both swords. He was now twice as dangerous.

On the other side of the room, Elizabeth was finally gaining the upper hand. The two blades met in midair, and Elizabeth was able to sling her opponent's blade away by forcing hers in circles and pushing. Elizabeth smiled dangerously as she advanced.

"Sorry," the pirate said meekly.

Elizabeth grasped the handle of her sword even better and used it to knock out the creature. She turned back toward the legless pirate and ran her blade horizontally down his front. Victorious, she proudly replaced her sword within the hilt and turned around. When she did, she saw another monster charging her. Looking around her, she spied a shovel lying on the ground. Elizabeth slammed her foot down on the handle of it, causing it to flip up into the air. Catching it when it came to arm level, she swung it full-force against the pirate's head. The force of the blow knocked out the brute easily. The deed done, Elizabeth eyed the shovel rather admiringly before dropping it. Her eyes then found Will, who looked like he could use some help. Drawing her sword once again, she raced over.

Will had to admit to himself, that for the first time today, he could use a little help. Thankfully, his prayer was answered as Elizabeth raced up to his side, sword drawn. Side by side, they were able to take down the pirate in three clean swipes. But just then, four more came up, bloodthirsty. Will and Elizabeth glanced at each other and nodded. Placing their backs against each other, they began to circle around with their swords blazing.

This allowed them to at least not get killed faster. They both swung their blades in full arcs, deflecting ninety-nine percent of the opposing swords; Elizabeth got briefly sliced on her sword arm. She simply tossed the sword into her other hand and kept it up. Realizing that this little exercise could go on forever, Will and Elizabeth both yelled the same word at once.

"Duck!"

They did so just as all four pirates plunged their blades at the couple with synchronized precision. The result was all four blades being stuck in all four chests. Will and Elizabeth then stood up to admire their handiwork.

"Good job," Will commented, breathless.

"You too," Elizabeth replied, winded as well.

They then pulled each other into a kiss. When they broke apart, they spied Barbossa battling with Davy Jones in the center of the room. Without hesitation, they both rushed over to help.

Both Barbossa and Davy Jones were skilled swordsman, so them combating each other was a sight to behold. Given Barbossa's old age, the guy seemed pretty fit, moving with catlike reflexes and not appearing to be tired at all. The same thing went for Davy Jones. Their blades could hardly be seen as they clashed and clanged against each other; harder than any other pair of swords battling each other anywhere else in the room. The look in each of their eyes was so fierce, that you'd expect fire to come blazing out of them at any moment. Neither showed signs of letting up at any moment.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Will and Elizabeth rushed up to Barbossa's aid and started to help combat Jones. Barbossa gave them both a brief look of annoyance as if to say "_I can handle this_", but quickly got back into the game.

Three against one, Jones knew, were not good odds. At least to him. So, he decided that then was the moment to carry on with the next part of the plan. While still swinging his sword, Jones lifted his foot and kicked Barbossa away, as well as Will. Elizabeth quickly abandoned the duel, immediately going to Will's aid. Smirking, Jones put his sword back in its hilt , grabbed a torch from the wall, and yelled out to his men.

"Time to light up the town!"

Smirking, Jones' men shoved their opponents away and retreated from the building; each one picking up a torch of their own. The Pearl crew took a few seconds to regain themselves before giving chase.

Outside, Tortuga had been cleared of its hangover and was now on fire! By means of the firelight, they saw Jones and a few of his men retreating back to the Dutchman. Will moved to chase after him, but a firm hand gripped his shoulder. Barbossa's.

"Don't worry about that now," he yelled over the roar of fire, "We'll catch up to them later! Right now, we need to put all this out!" He indicated the flaming buildings.

"But how?"

Elizabeth looked around, hoping to find an answer. By fate, it seemed, she found one.

"The well!" She pointed at the well in the middle of the city.

"But how can we use small buckets of water to put out a whole town on fire," Will asked.

"We'll just have to do what we can," Barbossa replied.

Ten minutes later, every Pearl member had filled up as many buckets with water as they could. It may have not been enough, but just enough to make a difference. Everyone was throwing the buckets of water over all the flames they could. Instantly everyone could tell that the water definitely was making a difference. Most of the fires had been put out just in time before they had been able to escalate into towering infernos. About three of Jones' crew had stayed behind to observe the chaos and were instantly infuriated over what was happening. Those very sea creature humans went to put a stop to it. Will saw the coming immediately. He was standing in front of the well. When one of the beasts was close enough, Will stepped out of the way, elbowed it in the back, and watched it fall down the dark abyss of the well. He then dived in between the remaining two, and was able to pull both their swords from the hilts. Raising to his feet, Will placed both blades at both pirates' throats. They both raised their hands in defeat before dashing away in fear. Will rolled his eyes at the stupidity and dropped both swords. He then turned around to examine the damage.

All in all, not too bad. Only a few small buildings were burned to the ground, but nothing that a few days of rebuilding couldn't fix. To all the town inhabitants' delight, thankfully the pub was still standing. To celebrate the town not burning down, most people went in there for a few rounds of rum. Will went to find Barbossa.

"You know," Will said as he approached him, "you really have changed, Barbossa."

"You've just realized that, have you," Barbossa asked, "What finally made you see that?"

"The fact that you were willing to save the lives of many innocent people."

"As I said before, Mr. Turner, I'm a changed man. I'm glad that you and your future wife finally see that in full focus."

"So, uh, can we still get the supplies we need?"

"Well, seein' as the supply building wasn't burned down, I'd say yes."

"Good. Then we need to get loaded and ready for take off as quickly as possible."

"Agreed."

Barbossa then ordered the crew to go back inside to get the supplies while Elizabeth came up to Will.

"Are you alright," he asked genuinely.

"Fine," she replied reassuringly. "I just got cut in the swordfight a while ago, but it's nothing serious." She showed him the red stain on her left sleeve.

"Let me take a look at it," Will said, carefully rolling up the sleeve. The cut was definitely caused by a sword, but it wasn't anything life-threatening. Still, Will was concerned, as all loving boyfriends should be. "It isn't that bad, but we should probably clean it up and put a bandage on it."

"Fine."

Will guided Elizabeth over to the well, where there was an unused bucket of water. He pulled out a cloth, soaked it, and tenderly started cleaning the cut. When he was finished, he ripped off a small piece of his sleeve and gently wrapped it around the wound. When he was done, he smiled.

"Better," he asked, starting to trail kisses down Elizabeth's arm.

"Much," she answered, smiling.

Forty-five minutes later, the Black Pearl II was off again, heading to find the ship's real captain. But little did they know that they would find Jack Sparrow sooner than they would think.


	9. Preparations

Chapter 9

Will, Elizabeth, Gibbs, and Barbossa all sat in the Captain's Quarters, both regaining themselves from the previous night's attack and desperately trying to plan their next move if Jones decided to come after them, which he probably would. Every person inside the room knew exactly how bloodthirsty Davy Jones was, and they also knew that they had to be prepared for what lay ahead.

Since Jones had sent The Kraken after the ship the last time the crew got on his bad side, it seemed only logical that he would be planning an encore of that certain event. Will already had an idea formulating inside his mind.

"It's obvious Jones will use The Kraken now that we escaped his grasp for the second time," Will said.

"Right," Gibbs agreed, "and given what happened to us last time we faced The Kraken, we'll need to have a strategy to kill it somehow."

"But that's the problem," Elizabeth spoke up. "How do you kill a giant squid underneath a ship without destroying the ship itself in the process?"

"I think I know how," Will started.

"Then by all means, fill us in," Barbossa prodded.

Will took a deep breath before he spoke. He knew that what he was about to suggest would sound complicated and certainly out there, but any suggestion at the moment would be useful.

"Alright. We've learned from experience that The Kraken slowly but surely finds a way to sink a ship."

"Tell me about it," Gibbs mumbled.

Will ignored the comment and continued on. "It raises its tentacles over the sides of a ship, then grabs hold of things such as the mast, and pulls down."

"Yes. And what's the point?"

"The point is," Will persisted, "that the tentacles come in front of the cannons. So, with the right amount of firepower, we could be able to cut off its source of destruction before it gets the chance to do anything."

"But we tried that already," Gibbs argued, "and all it did was cause slight damage to its arms and make it angrier."

"We could add the force of rifles with the cannons."

"And you actually believe that'll do the trick, do you?"

"It could. All we have to do is try."

"But," Barbossa countered, "I don't think cutting off its tentacles would actually kill it, Mr. Turner."

"Which leads me to my next point," Will continued. "With its arms gone, it'll have lost its main advantage over us. And the way we kill it is since its mouth would more likely be directly below the ship, we could create a hole in the ship big enough to drop barrels of gunpowder down into its mouth. Then we could either fire off shots from guns, causing the barrels to explode at the source, or send the last barrel down with a lit fuse. It could work."

A thoughtful silence ensued, which was broken by Barbossa.

"What about us? We'd be right on top of the beast when it explodes."

"We're sailing with the wind," Will replied, "and if we put a few men up on deck to have the sails ready at just the right moment, we could sail away fast enough from The Kraken that we'd be a good distance away from it when it blows up."

Gibbs and Barbossa had to admit that the plan was logical and it had a good chance of working, but they still looked pretty skeptical.

"About the hole in the ship," Barbossa began, "what would prevent it from causing floods below deck?"

"Simple," Will said, "a sliding cover that keeps it shut when we don't need it, but wide open when we do. And I figure since The Kraken will take up the entire space, only small amounts of water would come in through the hole." There was yet another moment of silence. "I don't see any flaw in the plan from my standpoint."

"One minor question," Gibbs finally said, "do you really believe that our cannons with the additional force of small rifles and pistols would be enough to sever gigantic squid tentacles?"

Will looked toward Barbossa. "This ship was created by Tia Dalma herself, so it should carry some enchanted qualities to it, right?"

"That would make sense," Barbossa admitted as he caught on.

"So things like the weaponry, or cannons, should posses more power than regular cannons would have."

"Logical," Barbossa nodded.

"And knowing how much Jack loves this ship," Will said, now on a roll, "she would have taken it upon herself to also enchant this model to be virtually unsinkable. She knows the legend of Davy Jones well, and would have factored in something like The Kraken to make sure we truly get what we're after, which is Jack."

An amused smile came across Barbossa's face as he finally saw how thought-out Will's plan truly was. "I must admit, Will," he complemented, "that for a pirate, you do a fine job at thinking out battle strategies."

"I'm _not_ a pirate," Will spat defiantly, "I'm just an adventurer who just happens to sail with pirates."

"Can't you and your fiancee ever take it as a complement when someone calls one of you a pirate, or are you just that noble?"

"Pirates aren't noble."

"We can be, if we feel like it. But as you can imagine, that's as rare as an eclipse." Barbossa chuckled at his own little observation.

Getting back to the matter at hand, Elizabeth spoke up. "Anyway, I like Will's plan and think it's worth trying." She turned to smile confidently at Will, who smiled back graciously.

Barbossa looked to Gibbs as they silently came to their decision. Barbossa then turned his head to look at the engaged couple. "Very well. We now have a strategy. But we must make haste if we want it to work. Mr. Gibbs," he turned back to Jack's loyal friend, "inform the crew of the plan and assign them positions to handle when the time comes."

"Aye, aye Captain," Gibbs quickly saluted Barbossa before going to his duties.

"Mr. Turner, _Mrs._ Turner," Barbossa addressed them while respecting Elizabeth's earlier request, "you'll have the job of creatin' the hole below deck since Will is so gifted with tools."

"No problem," said Will as they both stood up and left. Alone now, Barbossa just kicked back, took a green apple from the bowl on his table, and bit into it.

Aboard The Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones was being filled in on what went wrong back in Tortuga by one of his crew who had stayed behind. When the crewmate was finished, Jones found himself once again consumed by pure anger.

"They escaped," he shouted.

"Yes, Cap'n," replied the henchman, "we tried to stop 'em, but Turner's son had the upper hand."

"Did he now," Jones asked dangerously, "and tell me, what exactly did young Mr. Turner do that caused you to come fleeing back on the ship?"

"He...threw Hammerhead down the well before taking our swords and putting 'em at our throats."

"He put your blades at your throats," Jones observed. "Like this?"

Quick as lightning, Jones whipped out his own sword and placed it directly in front of the goon's throat.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slit your throat right here, right now?"

"Please Cap'n," the pirate pleaded, "I...I did all I could."

"If that were true, then the Black Pearl wouldn't still be sailing the waters!"

With that said, Jones mercilessly sliced the quivering creature's throat. The body fell to the deck in a hump. Before replacing his sword, Jones bent down and wiped the green blood off the blade on the dead brute's clothes. That done, Jones replaced his sword and turned to face his crew.

"Is there anyone else who has failed to comply with my orders recently?"

The question met dead silence.

"Good. Now someone please kindly dispose of the body."

As two stooges picked up the fresh corpse and tossed it overboard, Jones started to make his way down to the brig, where Bootstrap Bill Turner was currently being held. When he reached Bootstrap's cell, Jones pulled out a key and unlocked the door. He stepped in as Bootstrap looked up at him with an expression of pure loathing.

"Whad'ya want now," Bootstrap asked without much expression.

"I merely came here to tell you how much I admire your son's determination not to get killed," Jones replied. "He seems to always slip through my fingers at the last moment."

"That's probably because your men are more incompetent than they appear to be."

"Don't forget our little deal," Jones said, "it's not my men who will kill him, it'll be you. And trust me, Turner, if you suddenly have an attack of conscience and decide not to go through with it, then your son _will_ meet a fate worse than death."

"But I thought you intend to send The Kraken after them once they're within sight."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll make sure young Will doesn't cheat death by dying sooner than he's intended to."

"You're mad," Bootstrap breathed.

"Mad," Jones asked. "Mad, am I? No, Bootstrap Bill Turner, I'm merely a man who's driven by motivation."

"And greed," Bootstrap mumbled.

Jones extended one of the tentacles on his face so that it was holding up Bootstrap's face. Jones wanted to look into his eyes.

"I would think that you'd be a little more grateful," Jones intoned. "Have you forgotten that it was I who saved you from death? I who granted you more years to live?"

"Cursed years," Bootstrap corrected. "Years of service, servitude, and pain. During my time on this ship I've come to realize just how much of a mistake agreeing to sail under your command was. I would call this a fate worse than death."

"Well, who knows," Jones said, "you may be granted a reprieve from this life of "hell", as you call it."

"I _would_ rather die than gain a reprieve by killing my own son."

"Well I might just be willing to grant you that wish," Jones reasoned as he forced Bootstrap's head back down. "But in the meantime, you'll spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the term "silent as the grave."

His talk over, Jones turned on his heel and closed and relocked the cell door before going back above deck.

When he emerged from the brig, one of his crewmates came up to him.

"Captain, we're coming up on The Black Pearl. She's within sight."

The henchman handed his captain a telescope and pointed left. Jones turned in the direction, extended the telescope, and brought it up to his eye. Through the lens, he could see the ship that he thought was dead on the bottom of the ocean floor. When Jones lowered the telescope, a deadly grin had spread across his face. He turned back to his crewman.

"Summon The Kraken," Jones said icily.

The crewman smirked and repeated the order to the rest of the crew. Minutes later, a few members of the crew were busy rotating the wheel that caused the huge cinder block in the middle of it to raise. The first mate of the ship occupied himself by doing his job of lashing every other crewman who was turning the wheel. Once the cylinder had reached its peak and could be raised no more, it dropped heavily back in its resting place. The action caused a ripple to run through the entire expanse of ocean around the ship.

Jones smirked. Everything had been set in place, now all that was left to do was to wait until The Kraken came to do its job.


	10. Taking Down The Kraken

Chapter 10

Onboard the Black Pearl, Will and Elizabeth had just finished creating the hole in the bottom of the ship. Before too much water could seep inside, they quickly closed the hole with the sliding cover they created. Their part was done, and Will was sure that Gibbs had informed the rest of the crew of the plan by now. All that was left to do was wait until The Kraken showed its ugly tentacles.

Suddenly, an unseen force rocked the ship momentarily. It lasted for a few seconds, but Will and Elizabeth both knew exactly what it was. They gave each other an expression of grim realization before rushing back up on deck. Davy Jones had deployed his next battle tactic a little sooner than Will had anticipated.

When they came up on deck, Will and Elizabeth's fears had been confirmed. Everyone currently on the main deck had their sights set on a ship that wasn't far from where they currently floated. The last ship on Earth they wanted to see now of all times. The Flying Dutchman. Will spotted Barbossa staring at the ghostly creation through his telescope up on the higher deck and hurriedly rushed to his side.

"I take it that's The Flying Dutchman," Barbossa said without lowering the scope.

"Yes," Will replied. "Can you see what they're doing?"

"Not much. They seem to be just standin' around, waitin' for somethin' to happen."

"They're waiting for The Kraken to come," Will said, with an edge in his voice. Will then turned and shouted, "Get away from the sides!"

The crew didn't need telling twice as they obediently obeyed.

"Get to your positions! Move!"

Will then turned back to gaze at the sea in order to spot which direction the beast would be coming from. Barbossa, meanwhile, was still gazing through his lens at the Dutchman. Suddenly, as if Barbossa was only a few feet away, Davy Jones seemed to spot Barbossa and smiled in his direction. Barbossa lowered the telescope in anger.

Will, however, was still trying to spy that familiar lump in the smooth surface of the ocean. Elizabeth had come to join him.

"Has anyone seen this Kraken," Barbossa asked.

"Only the people that have been killed by it. And they only see a brief glimpse of the beast before it swallows them whole," Will replied, his gaze never leaving the water.

"And it has the power to tear a ship in half, does it?"

"Of course," Elizabeth answered, rolling her eyes at the obviousness of the answer. "Why would you ask?"

"Just wanted to know what I'm getting into," Barbossa said simply. "I love a good challenge."

"Well, today is your lucky day," said Will.

"Aye," Barbossa agreed as he gladly pulled out his sword.

It was then that Will and Elizabeth spotted it. A bulge in the ocean, and it was floating straight for the Pearl. Will turned to shout orders.

"It's coming up on the starboard side! Run out the guns! Get them loaded and prepare for battle!"

The men below deck seemed to hear that well enough as Will noticed the ends of cannons emerging from the ship below. Will looked up again to see how close The Kraken was. It was drawing ever closer at an alarming rate. Instinctively, Will put his arms around Elizabeth and pulled her away from the side.

"Brace for impact," Will yelled. He, Elizabeth, and Barbossa all grabbed something sturdy to hold onto as the Pearl rocked violently from the massive impact of the giant squid hitting the ship. Once the shaking stopped, all three of them stood up cautiously.

"We need to make sure all the weapons are loaded and ready to fire," Will suggested. Before they could move, Will heard a familiar noise coming from the side of the ship. He crept over to the side and gazed down.

There, slowly snaking their way up the side of the ship, were the slimy tentacles of The Kraken.

"Move!"

Will grabbed Elizabeth as they and Barbossa hurried below deck. Once they got there, they met up with Gibbs.

"We're loadin' the cannons right now, but all the rifles and pistols are ready," he informed them. "I hope your theory about this ship is correct, Will."

"I hope so too," Will said anxiously.

"Wait a minute," Elizabeth burst out suddenly, "if all of us are down here, then how will we know what's happening up on deck?"

"She's right," Will agreed, "we'll need some men up there to make sure The Kraken doesn't surprise us." He turned to Barbossa. "Send some men, well armed, up on deck to make sure the tentacles don't find their way down here."

Barboosa nodded and barked out the orders. Upon his request, many men (mostly Tia Dalma's recruits) hurried upstairs, armed with weapons such as swords, hatchets, rifles, and other very sharp objects.

"When should we fire," Gibbs asked, indicating the tentacles that could be seen through the cannon holes slowly rising upwards.

"Wait until the right moment," Will replied simply. He observed the crewmen as they were busying themselves with loading the cannons with cannonballs. These cannonballs looked different from the regular ones. They were silver-gray and appeared to be heavier than usual; the crew was straining under the weight of each one.

Suddenly, the sound of chaos broke out above them.

Above deck, the tentacles of The Kraken were finding their victims easily. They snaked their way across the deck and wrapped themselves around different crewmen. Those who were caught were raised in midair and pulled underwater. But not everyone was as unfortunate.

There were those who were able to avoid the slimy wraiths and plunge their weapons into them. One man who had a tentacle wrapped around his waist forcefully brought his hatchet down on the source of destruction repeatedly until he had dislodged it completely; the part still attached to the body fleeing in pain.

Elsewhere, another crewman was fighting for his life. He was swiping at every part of The Kraken he could. It seemed that he was on top of things, until out of nowhere another tentacle came and grabbed the man's face, pulling him forward. Blindly, he swung his sword, but to no avail. The man was pulled underwater within seconds. Meanwhile, many other tentacles started to grab hold of anything they could on the ship. Wrapping themselves around things such as poles, the tentacles began to tug. But amazingly, the ship would not break.

Seeing this as an opportunity, many crewmen raced up and swung their swords and hatchets down on the tentacles. Upon impact, they all broke apart, squid blood dripping from the cuts.

Will had come up momentarily to observe the damage, and soon found himself roped in to helping out. Drawing his blade, he sliced away another tentacle part that was about to snake its way around a crewman's leg. Spying another person in trouble, Will rushed over without hesitation. He pushed away the man in peril and began swiping away at the huge snake-like monster. The tentacle dodged his swipes, surprisingly, and came up behind Will's feet, knocking him over backwards. The force of impact on the deck caused Will's sword to slide out of his grasp. Just then, the tentacle raised above Will, prepared to land its deadly blow. Just as Will thought he would smell what legend said every man who died at the hands of The Kraken smelled before they died, a shot from a rifle rang out from across the deck.

The tentacle was knocked away momentarily as Will rolled away from its path of destruction. Will picked up his sword, jumped to his feet, and glanced in the direction of the gunshot. Elizabeth stood there, rifle still aimed. She looked at Will.

"You looked like you could use some help," she said with a slight smile.

Will smiled back before racing over to permanently sever the tentacle that almost killed him. He did so in one fluid motion. Just as he did so, he heard another gunshot ring out from Elizabeth's direction. He looked above him just in time to leap out of the way of a falling tentacle. Out of the way, Will brought down his blade on the monstrous creation, cutting it in half. Breathing a sigh of relief, Will looked around. Every top part of every tentacle had been severed successfully and they were now lying around the deck lifelessly. Job done, Will crossed the deck to join Elizabeth.

"We're not out of this yet," he told her.

She nodded in agreement before they made their way back down below deck.

Once they returned, Gibbs shouted over to them.

"An order to fire would really do good right about now!"

"FIRE!"

An instant after the word was shouted, the loud BANG of cannon fire and gunshots filled everyone's ears. Will waited for it. The sound that would say that his plan worked. And thankfully, it came.

It was the sound of slimy skin being severed completely. Every single tentacle on both sides of the ship had been removed completely from their master. That sound was soon replaced by a screeching, one that was high-pitched and unbearable. It was coming from The Kraken itself. Everyone covered their ears instantly. Above the noise, Gibbs managed to ask a question.

"Orders, Cap'n?"

Barbossa glanced at Will, who nodded back. Nodding in understanding himself, Barbossa shouted, "Make ready the gunpowder!"

Upon his request, many crewmen made their way to the corner of the cannon room, where all the barrels of gunpowder, 30 in all, lay.

"How many sir?"

"Ten should do it," Will replied.

Nodding, one crewman began to pick up and pass along ten barrels of gunpowder. Without wasting time, Will ran over to the small sliding door in the floor and cautiously opened it.

The sight that met Will's eyes was not a pretty one. Through the circular hole, Will could see a slimy, teeth filled mouth that was moist with slime. Fighting off the wave of nausea, Will began to take the barrels of gunpowder and drop them through the beast's wide-open mouth. The monster easily swallowed nine of the ten barrels hungrily. Finally, Will came to the last barrel of gunpowder.

Will pulled out his sword and made a tiny hole in the wood with his tip, big enough for something like a fuse to fit through. That done, he replaced his sword before carefully bringing a fuse out of his pocket, sweat starting to pour down his face. He then intricately placed the fuse within the small hole in the wood. The hard part done, Will was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Will stood up prepared to drop the last barrel, when suddenly, from the mouth's opening, something shocking emerged.

A hand that was clutching a sword. But it wasn't a severed hand, it was attached to a body. Also, it was an arm that Will recognized immediately. But...no. How could it be?

The whole upper body of the figure then emerged, gasping for fresh air. Captain Jack Sparrow! Will was able to say nothing, just stare at Jack, fully alive mind you, in silent awe.

But it seemed Jack didn't notice everyone else, who were also staring in absolute shock. Only Barbossa didn't seem surprised, on the contrary, he seemed delighted.

Back in the land of the living, Jack looked back down into The Kraken's mouth.

"Bye, bye Beastie," he said.

Finally able to speak, Will made their presence known.

"Jack! You're alive," Will shouted.

Jack looked up at Will, slightly shocked to see him standing over him.

"Am I not dead?"

He took in his current state as he lifted himself out of The Kraken.

"Well of all the dumb luck!" Jack's gaze fell upon the barrel of gunpowder in Will's arms. "So you're the little bugger who's been chucking barrels on top of me head!"

"I...I...I...," Will stammered.

"Knowing you, mate, you'll more likely have good reason. You do, don't you?"

"Well...um, you see, I'm dropping down barrels of gunpowder in order to kill it."

Jack looked from Will, to the hole, then to the barrel. "Oh."

Will was still gazing at Jack in wonder.

"Well, don't let me impede your progress, carry on."

Coming to his senses, Will pulled a match from his jacket and lit the fuse. He then turned to Barbossa.

"Send someone up on deck to get ready to make sail on my command."

"And tell him to get me some bloody rum. I'm in desperate need of it," Jack whispered in Will's ear. Will smirked.

As Will struck the match, a crewmate rushed up to make ready the sails. Will waited a moment before lighting the fuse. Will turned to the crew.

"I'd stand back," he warned them.

Nobody needed telling twice. Just as Will dropped the barrel, Gibbs yelled, "SET SAIL!"

Immediately, the ship lurched forward. With great haste, Will closed the small hole in the floor before a flood could be started. After a few seconds, the sound of a huge explosion rocked the ship.

Outside, under the shallow waters, the barrels inside of The Kraken exploded, causing a massive amount of water to rise up in midair. In addition to water, bits and pieces of slimy skin flew in all directions. The once-clean ocean was now polluted with ink and pieces of squid.

From The Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones observed in mute anger and astonishment. He let out a roar of frustration.

"How the blazes was that accomplished," he fumed.

Just then, he heard an all too familiar voice calling out his name from the close-by Black Pearl.

"Hey Jones," shouted Jack Sparrow, "this is the day that you will always remember as the day you almost killed Captain Jack Sparrow!"

Jones angrily glared through his telescope. The sight that met his eyes made him even more infuriated. Jack Sparrow was sticking his tounge out at Jones with his hands outstretched from his ears. Jones lowered the lens and tossed it away.

"Damn you, JACK SPARROOOOOOOOOW!"


	11. The Real Incentive

Chapter 11

Will still couldn't believe it. Jack Sparrow was alive again and standing right in front of everyone else on deck. As much as he tried, Will couldn't seem to fight off the wave of confusion that had now taken control of each and every one of his senses. Jack was the reason they were sailing to World's End, but rather unexpectedly, Jack had come aboard the Pearl unscathed as if the last few days hadn't even happened. Surely someone like Tia Dalma would have predicted this. Will shook his head. He didn't even want to consider just how complicated everything about this voyage was.

Jack stood on deck, downing a bottle of rum gratefully. When he finished, he smacked his lips pleasurably.

"Now _that_ was just what I needed."

Cautiously, Will approached Jack with an expression of utter confusion stamped across his face. Jack smiled at him.

"You know, if you don't adopt another look soon, that face could become permanent."

"Jack, we all have a few questions to ask you."

"That so? Well, I happen to have one meself," Jack replied.

"Like?"

"How the bloody hell are we on The Black Pearl? I thought it went down with me."

"Tia Dalma created it as a favor," Elizabeth told him.

Jack turned to her. "Really? Well, I guess that makes the score one million to two."

"Jack," Will said, bringing everyone back to the matter at hand, "we would all like to be enlightened on how it is you're not dead."

"I knew you would," Jack grinned. "That topic once again brings us back to Tia Dalma."

"Seems to be the woman of the hour," Barbossa observed.

"And what exactly does Tia Dalma have to do with this," Will asked.

Jack took a deep breath before answering. "Well, remember how I said we're inseparable...were...once...many years ago? The reason behind that is that we were...for a _very_ short time, mind you,...lovers."

The statement was met with astonished silence. Jack smirked at it. "Thought you might say that. Anyway, before we were...(he made weird gestures with his hands)...romantically involved, I saved her life from Davy Jones."

"Why was Jones trying to kill her," Will inquired.

Jack looked at Will. "You were there when she was telling the tale about how Jones ripped out his own heart over a woman's love. She was the woman Jones was in love with."

"You're not serious," Elizabeth breathed.

"I am regrettably completely serious. After she tore out his heart, quite literally, Jones was consumed with white hot anger for her. He returned to her cabin, intending to take her life, but couldn't."

"Because even though he had no heart, he still felt for her," Will suggested solemnly, taking Elizabeth's hand.

"No," Jack said, bursting his bubble. "He couldn't do it because I stopped him. I was on the island, hunting for treasure. I happened to observe squid face sneaking into her cabin, so I followed him. I arrived just in time to stop Jones from plunging a blade into her heart. That's when Jones' hatred for me began."

"That's all well and good," Will interrupted, "but you still haven't told us how you're able to stand here before us."

"I'm getting there," Jack shot back, "you people are so impatient. After saving her life, Tia Dalma repaid me by granting me eternal life." Jack's eyes widened as he said those last two words.

"Eternal life," Elizabeth asked incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking, luv?"

"I just find that hard to believe."

"Hard to believe? You've been battling a man with an octopus for a head. Most other people would find that _incredibly _hard to believe."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us about this before," asked Will.

"Because before, it wasn't any of your business. Savvy?"

"Sorry. So how did you and Tia Dalma drift apart after that?"

"Once again, mate, none of your business," Jack replied hotly. "Your business, however, concerns how Tia Dalma kept glancing at you when she was telling you Jones' tale."

"What do you mean?"

"What, you didn't see her? You blind or something?"

"Just get straight to it, Jack," Will said impatiently.

"I could tell that she was comparing you and Elizabeth to her and old Davy."

"What?"

"Think about it. A woman as unattainable as the sea. That quite describes the spirit of our Lizzy over here," Jack glanced at Elizabeth with interest.

"Come off it, Jack," Elizabeth waved off the comment.

"Yeah. And when did Elizabeth do something that...," Will's voice trailed off.

"It's all falling into place, isn't it? That little smooch we shared before the Pearl sank. Honesty isn't all it's cracked up to be, eh?"

Will looked at Elizabeth, but quickly shook his head. "No. No, that was just a misunderstanding. We cleared everything up ages ago."

"Yes, so stop talking nonsense," Elizabeth added.

"Alright, but my point is this: You _almost_ ripped out your heart. I was right."

"Not entirely," Will countered.

"Oh, c'mon," said Jack, "can't you at least give me the luxury of basking in rightfulness for at least a few seconds?"

"How often are you ever right?"

"Quite a lot. You people just don't want to admit it."

Will said nothing, just shrugged his shoulders. Jack then clapped his hands together.

"So, somebody get me up to speed on this little odyssey."

"Well, we _were_ sailing to World's End to find you," Will began, "but since you've shown up here, I don't see any reason to not turn around and go home."

"Yes," agreed Elizabeth, "we can finally get married."

"I wouldn't be so hasty there, my dear," Barbossa spoke up. "Our quest is far from over."

"What are you talking about," Elizabeth demanded as she stepped towards him. "We found Jack. Is that not the reason we were sailing to World's End?"

"I'm afraid not," said Barbossa.

"So everything you said about this voyage was a lie," Will asked incredulously.

"That sounds vaguely familiar," Jack muttered to himself.

"I'm afraid I had no choice but to fib," Barbossa replied.

"That brings back old memories as well," Jack said under his breath.

"Alright then," Will snapped, "what is the actual motive behind this quest?"

"I assure you, Mr. Turner, we are indeed on a rescue mission, but not for Jack."

"Then who," Elizabeth asked forcefully.

Before answering, Barbossa stepped in front of Jack and gazed into his eyes. "That would be Jack's father."

The words met stunned silence. After a moment, Jack shook his head.

"Impossible. I don't believe you."

"Aw, c'mon Jack, don't you trust my word?"

"After that little mutiny you pulled on me, my answer would have to be no."

"I kid you not, Jack. I speak the truth."

"I don't think so. You see, my father's been dead for quite some time now."

"And where is it that all souls of deceased pirates go? World's End."

"But why is it so important that we find Jack's father," Will asked.

"Because at World's End, the very spirit of piracy is represented solely by dear old dad," Barbossa answered.

"And how, pre tell, would you know all this," Jack asked suspiciously.

"Why, I would owe this knowledge to our mutual friend, Ms. Tia Dalma."

"So, she knew that we would find Jack out here, halfway through our quest," Elizabeth asked.

"Oh, most certainly," Barbossa said, with interest in his voice.

"Then why didn't you just tell us the truth," Will accused.

"Pirate," Jack answered for Barbossa.

"So why is it so important that we find Jack's father," Elizabeth asked.

"Well, as it so happens, our other mutual friend Davy Jones is also trying to find him," Barbossa filled in.

"And he's intending to kill him, right?"

"Yes. Because killing the spirit of piracy would be the same as killing every other pirate out there right now."

"Ah, dad," Jack mused, "even in death you're still the most hunted pirate in the seas." Jack shook his head. "Wait a minute," he said suddenly, "where's Jones' heart?"

"We suspect Norrington took it while we were trying to escape the island a few days ago," Will informed him.

"Sounds like the work of a pirate to me."

"And with the heart in Norrington's possession, it's obvious that he'll have taken it to Beckett," Will mused.

"Which was what he was after in the first place," Elizabeth finished.

"So Jones is basically carrying out Beckett's orders," Jack said.

"That seems to be about the size of it," Barbossa said.

"How do we know how close we are to World's End though," Gibbs spoke up.

"Have you forgotten," Barbossa asked. "I was once dead, so my soul naturally was in that vortex. I'm the only person aboard this ship who can guarantee that we'll arrive there."

"But sadly," Jack began, "with the always delightful Jack Sparrow back, it'll be I who will be in command from this moment on."

"What makes you think I'm willin' to give up my position so easily," Barbossa asked him with a slight edge in his voice.

"The fact that I'm willing to make you me first mate. What say you to that?"

Barbossa gave Jack a look before answering. "Now, Jack, are you really sure you want to be doin' that? Especially considerin' what happened the last time I was your first mate?"

"Since you so kindly assisted in me rescue, I'll...have to bring myself to trust you."

"I'm afraid the word "trust" isn't in a pirate's vocabulary," Barbossa smiled.

"It is in mine...from time to time," Jack replied. "Now, do we have an accord?" Jack stuck out his hand. Barbossa eyed it momentarily before taking it.

"Agreed. But you become Captain after your father is brought back alive."

"How bout a heading?"

"Just keep headin' due north."

"Never thought I'd see the day when you two would be working together," Will admitted.

"Me neither," both replied at once.

"But there's one more question I must ask you, Jack," Barbossa continued, "you still have that compass of yours on you?"

Jack glanced down at his belt and removed his compass. "Luckily, yes."

"Good. As you can imagine, that'll come in handy when we reach World's End."

"Let me guess," Jack smiled, "it'll lead us to my father.

"Exactly."

"After years of experience, you pick up on these things."

"But Jack," Gibbs asked, "what're we gonna do when Davy Jones shows his face again?"

Jack seemed a little surprised. "What, Tia Dalma didn't give you another jar of dirt," he asked, mildly fearful.

"Fraid not, Cap'n."

"Why didn't you ask?"

"Didn't think about it at the time," Gibbs said.

"We did," Pintel piped up. "But we didn't get one."

"Bugger! How does she expect us to survive Davy Jones and World's End without a jar of dirt?"

"There's always a sword, mate," Will suggested.

"Sure, if you wanna go the practical way," Jack shot back. Then, in a whimper, he added, "I want another jar of dirt. I tell you one thing, if something happens to us, I'm repossessing that monkey!"

Jack then started to make his way below deck. "Excuse me, I need more rum."

"Are you just going to be drunk until we get there," Elizabeth asked.

"I find it relaxing. You should try it sometime."

When he was gone, Elizabeth turned to face Will. "I honestly am sorry I ever kissed him in the first place."

Will nodded knowingly. "I know."


	12. Selling Souls

Chapter 12

Davy Jones just couldn't figure this out. He had seen the Black Pearl sink into the ocean depths with his own two eyes. And Jack Sparrow was most definitely on it during that time. So it made no sense that both were now back, as if nothing had happened. The fog of confusion was just too much to handle at the moment.

Jones descended the stairs into his private quarters. Closing the door behind him, he made his way to the instrumental organs on the far wall. Sitting down contentedly before them, he inhaled deeply. Now relaxed, he began to play the instrument using only his tentacles that emerged from his face. This eerie monotone always seemed to relax him somehow, and he enjoyed it all the same. Jones closed his eyes both because of the relaxation these organs brought and because he had every key memorized.

He opened his eyes only to glance at the small music box resting on the instrument. Not a day went by where he didn't listen to it. This music box was all that remained of his past life, from before he became condemned to captain this ghostly ship. It was all because of a woman's love; a love that turned out to be deadly. It was because of one woman that he was where he was today. Whenever he thought about what had happened, he always found himself in a state of deep pain too powerful to fight with.

His foolishness as a young man caused Jones to realize his mistake and become a feared pirate that showed no mercy. Life was cruel, so there's no reason that the afterlife shouldn't be either.

Jones was suddenly jolted out of his reverie as his cabin door opened, revealing his first mate.

"What is it," Jones asked roughly. "Couldn't you see I was busy?"

"Sorry, Captain," replied his first mate, "but there are two people up on deck who request your presence. A certain Lord Beckett and James Norrington."

Jones abruptly stopped playing his organs at the sound of the names. "I'll be right up."

The first mate nodded and closed the door. Before returning back on deck, Jones finished the final notes to the tune he was playing.

Coming up on deck, Jones saw Beckett and Norrington, who appeared to be extremely uncomfortable in their current position. Jones also caught a glimpse of how they arrived on his ship: a Naval ship, obviously. Jones came to a halt in front of them.

"What are you here for," he barked.

"We just wanted an update on your...quest," Beckett replied calmly.

"Yes," said Norrington, "did your beast fare well?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"What," Beckett demanded, clearly surprised.

"You heard me, the Pearl found a way to beat The Kraken."

"But I thought you said that it was unbeatable," Norrington inquired.

"It was," Jones persisted. "But that's not even the half of it."

"What could be worse?"

"This. As the Pearl was sailing away from the remains of The Kraken, a familiar voice filled my ears."

"And exactly what voice was that," Beckett asked.

"Take a wild guess," said Jones sarcastically.

"Surely you can't mean..."

"Oh, yes. Jack Sparrow." Jones spat out the name in disgust.

"But how is that possible? You said Sparrow was dead!"

"I believed so too," Jones shot back. "But apparently Sparrow found a way to cheat death!"

There was a short pause while all three men tried to rethink their strategy.

"What do you think the chances are that Sparrow knows about his father," Norrington asked finally.

"I have no idea," Jones admitted. "But since he's returned, I would assume his crew would forfeit the rest of the voyage to World's End."

Beckett thought more for another moment. "Does anyone else know about World's End? Other than just pirates?"

Jones pondered the question for a few seconds until he came upon his answer. His eyes darkened. "Tia Dalma," he breathed.

"Who?"

"That's of no consequence at the moment," said Jones. "The point is, she knows about World's End and she's an old acquaintance of Sparrow's."

"Is she a pirate?"

"No. Just a...type of fortuneteller, if you will."

"And she definitely knows about World's End?"

"Without a doubt."

Jones turned angrily to gaze out at the sea. How could he not have seen this?

"A fortuneteller," Beckett repeated. "And being a fortuneteller, do you think she'd know about Sparrow's father?"

"I don't see how she would _not_ know."

"Then we must make haste and sail to World's End as quickly as possible," Beckett ordered. "We can't risk Sparrow getting there before we do."

"Don't worry about that, my ship is as fast as the wind itself."

"Then you can guarantee a successful voyage to World's End?"

"Definitely. Although, Beckett, I need absolute assurance that when Sparrow's father is in our grasp that you will in fact hand over my heart."

"There should be no question about that," Beckett said.

"Oh, but there is." Jones turned to Beckett. "You claim to be a man of government and one who abides by the law. But by hunting down a vicious pirate on your own terms, that's where my doubts begin to surface."

"We're not doing this on our own terms," Beckett protested. "We have the full support of The East India Trading Company."

"Or so you say," Jones grinned.

"Are you calling me untrustworthy," Beckett seethed.

"As long as you carry my heart in your hands, I'm afraid I can't bring myself to fully trust you, Lord Beckett. How can I be assured that you're not just using me to your advantage?"

"What are you saying," Norrington asked.

"I'm saying that until I have my heart in my hands, I'll need some collateral from you two gentlemen."

"Collateral such as?"

Jones grinned maliciously at the question while several of his crew laughed.

"I was thinking...your souls."

"Are you serious," Norrington asked rather quickly.

"Deadly."

You want us to permanently hand over our souls to you," Beckett asked uncertainly.

"Not permanently," Jones replied, "jut until I get my heart back."

"What if we say no?"

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to resign my position as your little henchman."

"You can't do that," Beckett protested. "We have your heart, and you have no choice but to obey the orders of the men in its possession."

"Well in that case," Jones said simply, "I might have to force you to stab my heart."

Beckett and Norrington looked at each other, clearly deciding what they should do.

"Oh, come on gents. All you have to do is hand over your souls to me, and we'll all be on our way to World's End. It's that simple."

Beckett suddenly became occupied with his feet, all the while silently contemplating his answer. After a few moments, he gave a deep sigh and looked toward Norrington. Norrington read Beckett's expression and nodded in understanding.

"Very well, Mr. Jones," Beckett said. "You now have possession of our souls."

Jones smiled and took each men's hand in one of his own. When Jones grasped them, he slapped a black goo into each of their palms. The goo then formed a small spot, or bloodless gash, on each of them. The Black Spot. The mark of a soul debt to Davy Jones.

"Congratulations, gentlemen," Jones informed them, "your souls are now my property. And you two are eternally in my debt until you die."

"Fascinating," said Beckett tonelessly. "Now, can we carry on with our mission?"

"Of course," Jones answered as he turned to his navigator. "All ahead, north!"

"Aye, aye Cap'n," the navigator saluted. Jones then faced Beckett and Norrington.

"You'd want to get back to your ship," he ordered before returning to his cabin.

Beckett and Norrington did so with haste.


	13. Apologies & An Agreement

Chapter 13

Elizabeth stood on the deck of the Black Pearl II, gazing out at the peaceful waters. She, as well as almost everyone else on board, hadn't been able to fully accept that Jack Sparrow had returned. It happened so fast and so sudden, that on some level, it almost felt like a dream. On top of Jack returning, the true nature of the quest to World's End had been revealed. _Never trust a pirate, _Elizabeth thought bitterly.

However, astonishment was not the only feeling coursing through her veins at the moment. That same feeling of guilt that came from shackling Jack to the Black Pearl when it sank had once again resurfaced. The voice of reason inside Elizabeth's head told her to ask Jack's forgiveness, but Elizabeth wasn't so sure Jack would accept an apology. Especially one for his death. Well, it did work out with Will.

She stopped herself right there. She knew that the only reason Will wasn't still mad at her was because over the five years they've been together, a very strong bond and respect had been formed between them. A bond that had proven unbreakable, even under circumstances that threatened their very relationship. Will and Elizabeth's love for one another was undying, and Elizabeth herself had made sure that she fixed what she did by proving to Will exactly how much she cared for him, no matter what she did. And thankfully, that had worked.

But Elizabeth knew that she didn't really have that strong a connection between her and Jack. They were just friends, but Elizabeth presumed that whatever traces of friendship existed between her and Jack in the past had quickly evaporated into nothing the moment she placed that iron shackle around Jack's wrist. Thinking back on the situation, she was easily able to recall her exact words.

"_The Kraken's after you, not us. It's the only way, don't you see? I'm not sorry." _

And the truth was she hadn't been sorry at the moment, but later that night at Tia Dalma's shack was when the full weight of what she had done began to press down upon her. What Jack said about her was beginning to come true, she was a pirate at heart. She had put her own life before someone else's. _No,_ she told herself, _you put the lives of Will and the others along with your own before Jack's. _They all didn't deserve to die because of Jack's ongoing feud with Davy Jones. By realizing this, Elizabeth had concluded that her actions were driven by her love and compassion for Will. They still had a chance at sharing the rest of their lives with each other, and Elizabeth took full advantage of ensuring that happened.

Elizabeth sighed deeply. Suddenly, Will came up beside her, he could tell something was bothering her.

"What's on your mind," he asked her.

"Just...thinking," Elizabeth replied blankly.

Will quickly caught on. "About what you did to Jack?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I feel incredibly guilty about it. I basically killed him in cold blood. I _am_ a pirate!"

Will sighed and started to rub her arm gently. "C'mon. You did what you believed was the right thing. You were concerned for other people's well-being."

Elizabeth looked deep into Will's eyes. "What if I told you that I was only thinking about my own well-being when I did it?"

"Don't say that. You're just getting confused."

"I just can't help but feel guilty for basically killing a person. A friend, a close one."

For a second, Will thought he felt a twinge of jealousy, but as quickly as it had come, it left. "Listen, Elizabeth, if you feel this badly about it, then why don't you just ask Jack's forgiveness?"

"I'm just afraid about what he'll say. He should obviously be hurt over what I did."

"Elizabeth, you just have to face your fears. If you at least asked, then you might feel a little better."

Elizabeth thought about this for a moment before answering. "I suppose you're right. I'm going to go talk with Jack. Thanks, Will." She quickly pecked him on the lips before making her way down to the rum cell.

"Anytime," Will replied.

Before Elizabeth knew it, she had reached the room everyone on board had dubbed "The Rum Room". Elizabeth peeked inside, spotting Jack. He was sitting on a small bench sipping a bottle of rum. Elizabeth slowly made her way towards him.

When Jack saw who it was, he smirked, but not in a friendly way.

"Elizabeth," he merely acknowledged.

"Jack," she replied formally.

"Want something? Rum?"

"Actually, I came down here to have a little discussion with you."

"Having a discussion with me after I've had quite a bit of rum, as you will soon discover, is quite a feat."

"Well there's no harm in trying."

"Aye," Jack said as he raised his bottle of rum in acknowledgment. "So what is it you wish to discuss?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Darling, nothing's obvious to me at the moment," said Jack drunkenly. "I'm afraid you'll have to spell it all out for me."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Alright. Jack, I want to apologize for what I did to you back on the Pearl."

"Oh."

"Jack, you must know that I'm deeply sorry for chaining you to the ship. You have to realize that it _was_ the only thing that would ensure the crew's survival."

"But not mine," Jack said bitterly. "However, I do see your point. After all, The Kraken _was_ only after me. So why risk many other lives when there's also the option of also sacrificing one?"

Elizabeth said nothing. She just nodded before fetching a bottle of rum and downing some in one gulp.

"Feel better?"

"Only partially. I still need to know if you fully forgive me."

Jack smiled. "Only partially. You owe me quite a big favor before we're fully even, savvy?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Understood."

"I must confess, Elizabeth, I'm afraid I have to ask you something that's been on my mind for a while."

"And what is that?"

"Did you like it?"

Elizabeth gave Jack a questioning look. "Like what?"

"The kiss. Was it to your liking."

"I really wasn't paying attention. I was too busy shackling you to the ship."

Jack grinned at her slyly. "A pirate's answer, that's what that is. I'm proud of you, Lizzy. You're maturing right before my eyes."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I think you've had too much rum."

"You can _never_ have too much rum." Jack smiled and finished his current bottle. "But seriously, have you ever kissed young William like that before?"

"I plan to. On our wedding day."

"Now does Will know about our little game of tounge twister?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I had to beg for forgiveness."

"But he took you back, right?"

"Of course."

"And he was jealous of me?"

"Really, what does that matter?"

"It matters quite a lot! To me, at least."

Elizabeth sighed. "A little. He was jealous a little."

"Knew it! Women always seem to find me charming!"

"Is that so? All I see in you is a foolish drunk with a sword whose one and only concern is himself," Elizabeth spat back.

"I'm flattered! But that last part is only partially true."

"Is that so? Why don't you prove it?"

"Very well," Jack said, letting out a small belch. "Remember when I offered to marry you and Will right here on this ship? Well, that offer still stands."

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "Oh, Jack! You'd really do that?"

"Of course. I've performed quite a few_ marriàges_ in my day, so what's one more for two friends?"

"Oh, Jack. I don't know how to thank you."

"Well, all you have to do is grant me my favor and before you know it, you'll be Mrs. William Turner. Officially. Savvy?"

Elizabeth took Jack's hand and shook it. "Agreed."

"Oh, and one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Well, I was hoping you could settle a problem of mine."

"What problem?"

"I just need to know once and for all if Will actually is a eunich. And you're the only person who can answer that. But not until your wedding night, of course."

Elizabeth smiled. "Jack, I can tell you right now. Will is definitely_ not_ a eunich."

Jack grinned knowingly.


	14. Like Father, Like Son

Chapter 14

Night had fallen over both the seas and the Black Pearl. The structure was silently floating along the shallow waters, not making much sound. On board, Will lat wide awake in his cabin, unable to fall asleep. He wanted to, but couldn't will himself to. The thing that was depriving him of rest was one thing, or one person. His father.

Will couldn't shift aside the promise he made to his father before departing the Dutchman. Will had promised to free him from his life sentence of servitude and damnation once he had the opportunity. Back on the island where they found the Dead Man's Chest, he had come so close to his goal, only to be stopped by greed. His first attempt at obtaining the heart of Davy Jones had failed, but Will intended to make sure that if he ever came in contact with Beckett and Norrington ever again, he would steal the heart without hesitation. Nothing was more important to Will than the ones he loved.

After a while of tossing and turning in his small bed, Will finally decided to go up on deck. Maybe the peaceful sound of water and the moonlight would be enough to allow Will to drift off into slumber.

After grabbing his pillow and blanket, Will arrived up on deck. He picked a spot right in the middle of the deck and made himself comfortable. Gazing up at the stars, Will soon found himself even more uncomfortable with his thoughts. Instead of his father, Will thought about that kiss between Jack and Elizabeth. Before he knew it, a small feeling of jealousy started to well up inside Will. Realizing his feelings, Will quickly cast them away.

_She doesn't love him_, he told himself._ She loves you, and you alone. _And besides, Jack was probably twenty years older than Elizabeth. Them being together would just be immoral, not to mention sick. But the one thing Will couldn't ignore was how much Jack seemed to enjoy the kiss. After all, Jack didn't try to break it off or resist, he just stood there while his fate was being sealed by the engaged woman of his best friend. After considering this, Will's small pang of jealousy soon grew larger.

Jack could be called a womanizer at times, but he's the type of person who didn't see himself settling down with someone. But Will was that type of person. However, Will soon came to his senses. What was he thinking? After having been literally murdered by Elizabeth, Will couldn't see any reason why Jack would even look at her in the way he used to anymore. Although, Will had to admit, Jack _was_ quite weird. Suddenly a noise came from across the deck, jarring Will from his thoughts.

He looked over to see what it was, and he spied the man whom he was just thinking about, Jack Sparrow. _Captain_ Jack Sparrow, Will corrected himself. Jack saw Will lying on the wooden surface and walked over.

"Having trouble sleeping," Jack asked when he was close enough.

"Why do you ask? Because I'm not in my cabin?"

"That and that floor looks uncomfortable to sleep on."

Will shook his head. "You can't sleep either?"

"No," Jack replied. "And the reason why is that I'm dreading the horrible hangover that'll be waiting for me after all that rum I drank."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Will grinned.

"Will, my unique ability of sensing uncomfortable human emotions is flaring at the moment."

"I'm that obvious, huh?"

"Fraid so, lad. What's on your mind?"

Jack sat down on the deck beside Will.

"Nothing," Will dismissed him. "Just...personal matters, that's all."

Jack didn't need telling twice. "Ah, family issues, eh? Is it your father, dear Elizabeth, or both?"

"Both."

Jack nodded. "And what seems to be your dilemma?"

Will looked at Jack. "I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."

Will lifted himself up and moved to the upper deck. Jack persisted by following him.

"C'mon, mate. I may be a pirate but I'm a sensitive pirate nonetheless."

Will closed his eyes and sighed deeply before turning around to answer Jack. "Fine. You want to know what's troubling me about Elizabeth? I'll tell you. That kiss you two shared before we abandoned the Pearl."

This time it was Jack who sighed deeply. "She told me you saw that. Listen, the kiss was meant as a distraction, nothing more. Are you really still mad at her about it?"

"Of course not," Will replied sharply. "The only person I'm mad at over it is you."

"Me? Why just me?"

"Elizabeth more than made up for what she did a while ago and I couldn't find it in my heart to stay angry with her forever. However, I am angry with you because you didn't try to stop it."

"If it's any constellation, I didn't know she would shackle me to the ship."

"Oh, come off it! I know how much of a womanizer you are Jack, so don't try to deny that you enjoyed kissing my fiancé."

Jack looked deep into Will's eyes. "Very well, I won't deny it. I enjoyed it. Very much. But truth be told, I honestly don't see me and her working out even if we did get together."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters, Elizabeth strikes me as the type of person who can't wait to settle down and start a family. Sadly, I lack that quality because I'm a pirate. And being a pirate I always have to be on the move and involved in some type of adventure. As I've said before, my first and only love is the sea. And treasure. Secondly, and the most obvious reason, do you know how much younger than me she is? Now, I may not look like the type of person who cares about age, but trust me, I am. Elizabeth is a good person, just not my type. Obviously, she's more your type."

After gazing at Jack for a few more moments, Will spoke up. "Fine. Jack, you know me well enough to know that I have a streak of decency inside me, so for now, that'll have to do."

Jack smiled. "Great. Now, about your father issues..."

"Please, Jack. I'd rather not."

"Oh come off it, mate. You told me your father was onboard the Flying Dutchman."

"He was. And I promised him that once I had Jones' heart, that I would set him free by stabbing it. And I just can't get that promise out of my head."

"Hey, I understand. You wish to rectify your past life by trying to rebuild a relationship with your father. That's the most important bond of all, between a father and his son." As Jack said those last few words, his expression and tone became distant. Will noticed this.

"Ironic, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"The fact that we're both basically on a mission that will hopefully bring us closer to our fathers in the end." Will paused for a moment. "What was your father like?"

Jack smirked to himself. "You could say that I'm the spitting image of my father. He too was a notorious and viciously hunted pirate. In fact, he raised me himself. You see, me mother died giving birth to me so he had no choice but to raise me on the sea. As I grew older, my father taught me all the tricks and tools of the trade; he wanted me to be just like him. And eventually, over time, that's exactly what I became. In me early years we used to pilfer and plunder together, happily getting rich from all the loot we stole. As a matter of fact, I inherited the Black Pearl from him."

"What happened to him?"

"He was killed by the British Royal Navy. Over time they hunted him down, arrested him, and eventually executed him. After that I became the acting Captain of the Pearl immediately and me and my crew continued our duties as pirates. And now to find out that saving his soul from World's End could actually save every other pirate out there right now, well, that's enough of a shock to make you sober again. I really respected my father deeply, although I never really got around to telling him."

"Well, you'll have that chance once we reach World's End."

"It looks like it," Jack sighed. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Jack decided once more to break the ice. "You know, ever since I first met you, one thing about you's been bugging me."

"What's that?"

"Why is it that you have a vendetta against every pirate that sails the seven seas?"

Will shook his head, trying to dismiss the question. "Why do you wish to know?"

"Because what I find ironic is the fact that you're on a pirate's mission, sailing with a pirate crew, and acting like a pirate. You see, it's things like this that bring me to question your motives. C'mon, Will. Open up to ol' Jack."

Will shifted his gaze from Jack to the sea for a moment as he started to think about how to respond to the question. "I'm not sure exactly. I guess because it was pirates who killed my father, I developed a certain distaste for them and have vowed to see to it that any pirate I come across gets what he deserves."

"Well, I'm a pirate and you haven't run me through with a sword. At least not yet." Jack began to think about the whole Elizabeth incident as he said those words.

"Besides kissing my fiancé, you haven't really done anything that would cause me to want to kill you."

"So you admit that you wouldn't mind killing me over Elizabeth?"

"I wouldn't mind. But I'm holding myself back due to the fact that we're meeting your father in a few days and it would be very rude indeed to kill you before you have a chance to see your father again."

"That _would_ be rather rude, wouldn't it," mused Jack. "But I'm pretty sure I have a way to resolve your feelings of distrust towards me over Elizabeth."

"And what exactly would that be?"

"To marry you both meself. What do you think of that?"

"I didn't know captains of ships could perform such ceremonies."

"Of course we can. I happen to have had the luxury of doing so a few times over the past couple of years, so you could say I'm experienced in this department."

Will once again searched Jack's eyes for genuineness. "So you're willing to perform Elizabeth and me's wedding ceremony?"

"Course I am. I already proposed this idea to young Elizabeth and she seemed to like it, and what better way to prove that I in fact do _not_ have feelings for her?"

Will considered this for a moment. "Well, I guess if it makes Elizabeth happy, then we'll go through with it."

"Excellent! So, what day should we aim for, mate?"

"As soon as all this Davy Jones nonsense is done for and he's dead, along with Beckett and Norrington."

"Very well, we have an accord." Jack thrust out his hand. Will took it and they shook firmly.

"Now," said Jack, "if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some shut-eye. Let me tell you mate, it's not easy trying to sleep inside a giant squid." Jack then turned on his heel and headed below deck. After a moment, Will gathered up his things and did the same.

Just as Will reached his door, he heard the sound of another door being opened. He turned in the direction the sound had come from and his eyes fell upon Elizabeth. Apparently no one on this ship was able to get any sleep.

Elizabeth spotted Will standing in front of his small room and made her way towards him.

"Can't sleep either," she asked.

"No," Will replied simply. "What's bothering you?"

Elizabeth hesitated a moment before answering. "I guess I'm just trying to get used to the fact that I'm really a pirate at heart. For someone like me, it's a very unsettling discovery to make. I just have to learn to accept it."

"I accepted that very same thing five years ago after we helped Jack defeat Barbossa. Pirate seems to be in our blood, and sooner or later, we'll have to square with it. Just give it some time."

Elizabeth gave Will a small smile. "You always seem to find a way to cheer me up whenever I'm feeling down."

"It's a gift, I guess."

A sudden urge suddenly struck Will and before he knew what he had said, the words were already out of his mouth.

"Elizabeth, I have to ask you something."

"What is it, Will?"

"I need something settled once and for all. I need you to fully assure me that you have absolutely no feelings for Jack whatsoever. I know it sounds rude, but I need to know if these past five years we've had together have meant anything at all."

Elizabeth looked deep into Will's eyes before giving her answer. "Will, of course these past few years have meant something. A lot, in fact. I understand why you would have your doubts, especially now, but let me assure you that _you_ are truly the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with."

By the tone of her voice, Will could tell that Elizabeth's confession was intangible.

"Then I should consider the scars on my back to be scars of love."

"What scars?"

Will abruptly realized that he didn't want to worry Elizabeth over what happened on the Dutchman, so he quickly attempted to dismiss the subject.

"Nothing. Forget it."

Will tried to enter his room, but Elizabeth blocked the doorway.

"What scars, Will? Please don't keep anything important from me."

Will, unable to be dishonest with her, decided to tell Elizabeth what he meant.

"Alright, when I was aboard the Flying Dutchman, I accidentally did something wrong. And as punishment...my father was forced to...lash me on the back five times."

"What?" Elizabeth was both shocked and outraged at this cruel treatment of her soon-to-be-husband. "Let me see your back!"

"Elizabeth..."

"Turn around!"

Will obliged and turned his back to her. Will felt Elizabeth then lift up his shirt and then heard her gasp.

"Oh, Will! Do they still hurt?"

"Not so much now," he admitted. "But it was hell when it happened."

"We should do something to help try to ease any pain you're feeling now."

"I'm fine. Really," Will protested as he turned back around. "I already have a trick to make the pain go away and it works just fine."

"And what is that?"

Will took both her hands in his. "You. The thought of you. Of spending the rest of my life with you, of starting a family together, and growing old with you. That's how I managed to endure my time on the Dutchman. Because I just knew that I would be able to see you again. A lifetime with you is certainly more exciting than sailing with pirates."

By now, tears of happiness had started to well up in Elizabeth's eyes.

"I promise you, Elizabeth," Will continued, "the minute all this is over, we're getting marr—"

The last word was cut off by Elizabeth throwing her arms around Will and kissing him with all her might. Both of them knew that this was where they belonged, and nothing would ever change that. Not even Captain Jack Sparrow.


	15. Friends Again

Chapter 15

The next morning, Jack decided to make a rather bold move. He realized that if the crew was to really recuse Jack's father from World's End, then he and Barbossa needed to tie up a few loose ends that still existed between the two. So, Jack made his way to the captain's quarters and knocked.

"Enter," Barbossa growled from the other side.

Jack pushed opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. When Barbossa saw who it was, he gave Jack his trademark greasy yellow-toothed smile.

"Ah, Jack," he said. "Do what do I owe the pleasure of you visiting me?"

"Just came to see if we could get a few things straightened out between us, mate."

"Such as?"

"Well, for starters, we need to agree that we won't kill each other before we get to our destination."

Barbossa chuckled. "Yes, that would put a damper on the plan, wouldn't it? But rest assured, Jack, I've renounced my dishonest ways and have turned over a new leaf, for the best I hope."

"As do we all. But do young Mr. Turner and his soon-to-be wife trust you?"

"Without a doubt."

"May I inquire as to why they do?"

"Yes, and don't inquire too much because knowing you, you may just get a splitting headache. I simply told Ms. Swann that if the time ever came where she or her betrothed needed saving, I would save them without hesitation."

"Ah, but be careful around Ms. Elizabeth because she may just turn around and say...shackle you to a ship right before it's about to go down."

Barbossa laughed. "She seems to be a pirate at heart."

Jack nodded. "Certainly a pirate-esque quality, but I no longer find myself interested in her."

"You mean...sexually?"

"It's not like me to say that out loud, but yeah. I lied to young William partly last night to put his mind at ease."

"Oh really? How?"

"I told him I wasn't attracted to Elizabeth. I listed things such as age, spirit, all the basics. And this is all true as of after my near-death experience."

"I certainly wouldn't call what you had a near-death experience due to the fact that because of Tia Dalma, you can never die. She just revived me, didn't grant _me_ eternal life."

"Normally I would throw an insult at you right now, but we need to be as close as we were before your little mutiny."

Barbossa smiled. "I think I can do that now that I'm an honest pirate."

"Mate, there are no honest pirates."

Barbossa laughed. "Well, Jack, it seems we're friends again. By the way, sorry about that whole marooning you on an island business."

"Thanks, mate. And I'm sorry about shooting you in the heart. Yeah, that was rather rude."

"Apology accepted." Barbossa stuck out his hand. Jack firmly took it.

"One more thing, once we have my father safe and in one piece, I automatically resume control as Captain, savvy?"

"Yes, Tia Dalma told me to do so. But only as long as I remain at least First Mate."

"Not a problem. But this time, I'm keeping a closer eye on you."


	16. Arriving

Chapter 16

From aboard the Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones gazed through his telescope at the Black Pearl, which was within view in front of them. He lowered the viewing device and turned to Beckett and Norrington, whose ship was floating right beside the Dutchman.

"Should we take a course of action?"

"That won't be necessary," Beckett waved off the suggestion. "We need them alive, at least until we reach World's End. Then we'll seize the Pearl while Jack and his friends search for his father."

"And what then?"

"Simple. We kill any who resist and force them to hand over Sparrow."

Jones chuckled to himself. "That's all well and good Mr. Beckett, but I have a better idea."

"Which is?"

"We need some type of leverage in order to get what we want. Now I happen to know that young Will Turner is engaged to that Ms. Swann. So, we take her as a hostage until Sparrow agrees to hand over his father."

"Are you sure that'll work," Norrington questioned. "I mean, all evidence to the contrary, Jack Sparrow_ is _a pirate. I've been with him on his ship and believe me, he only seemed to be concerned about finding the chest than he did saving Mr. Turner. So what are you betting on exactly, Jones?"

"I'm merely betting on Mr. Turner's devotion to the ones he loves. Especially since Ms. Swann is his true love."

"Understandable," said Beckett. "But we won't kill Ms. Swann. So we'll command a trade; Sparrow's father for Ms. Swann."

Jones nodded and gazed up at the sky, which had now become abnormal. The regular bright blue color and clouds suddenly seemed to cut off, to be replaced by dark gray clouds which gave off a forboding sense of fear. Jones immediately interpreted this as a signal.

"We're nearly there," he said. "It's only a matter of time."

Ahead of them, the Black Pearl began its slow voyage into World's End.


	17. At World's End

Chapter 17

Ahead, a thick wall of fog obstructed Will's view of the sea beyond. Without even thinking about it, his mind told him that they had reached World's End. Will looked around the deck and spotted Barbossa staring into the mist, appearing unmoved by the sight. Will's eyes then caught sight of Gibbs, who had a worried look stamped across his face.

"Orders, Cap'n," he yelled out.

Jack suddenly appeared beside Barbossa and mimicked the pirate's behavior.

"Keep going. There's nothing to fear here...at least I don't think so."

Jack turned to Barbossa for reassurance. Barbossa shook his head, meaning that it was safe to keep sailing.

"Now, Jack, I hope you have your compass handy."

Jack nodded. "Always keep it on me person. Don't fret." He removed the item in question from his belt and held it up to eye level.

"Good. Oh, and just as a precaution, I'd tell whoever's coming ashore with us to be properly armed. Ya' never know what sort of things you'll bump into in places like this."

"Should we be expecting to run into anything that could, say...have us for dinner? Because I've recently had that experience and let me tell you, it's quite nerve-racking."

"All I can tell you Jack, is to expect the unexpected."

Just then, the Pearl cut through the thick fog wall and the air around the ship suddenly became ice cold. Elizabeth walked up beside Will, quivering from the sudden change in weather. Will put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him in an attempt to try to keep her warm.

From the crow's nest, Ragetti called down. "Can't see a blasted thing through this bloody fog!"

Pintel, who was behind him, noticed over what eye Ragetti was holding the scope. "That's cause you're lookin' through the scope with your wooden eye!"

Noticing he was right, Ragetti switched eyes. "Oh. But it still makes no difference."

"Then why bother?"

"Well I had to know for certain!"

Below, Gibbs had joined Jack and Barbossa on the upper deck. "This fog runs a chill through your bones." He started to furiously rub his arms.

"It's a purgatory for pirates, mate, not a bloody paradise," Jack answered. "What do you expect, a sunny sky and the ocean filled with rum?"

"So, who's comin' ashore," Barbossa asked Jack.

"We are," Will said as he and Elizabeth joined the group. "You'll more likely need all the help you can get."

"Very well, but you'll have to watch your own backs."

"No problem," both Will and Elizabeth said at once.

"So it'll be me, Jack, Mr. Turner and Ms. Swann who go ashore. Gibbs, you and the rest of the crew stay here and mind the ship," Barbossa gave out his orders.

"Will there be anywhere to tie the ship to land," Gibbs asked.

"Probably not. We'll just drop anchor somewhere."

Just then, the Pearl broke through the mist and the crew had their first glimpse of the fabled World's End. All traces of a clear, bright blue sky had suddenly evaporated. Now, the sky above them had turned into a deep shade of purple, mixed with a little red here and there. Around the ship, islands were lighted with what appeared to be candles, fires, and lanterns, which would have to be hanging from tree branches. The water below the ship had changed as well.

The once blue-green ocean had now transformed into a black as night lagoon that stretched for miles ahead. Every once in a while, something white would peek out from the surface. But on top of all that, a sound slowly became audible. A moan of pain and torture that was rising up all around the Pearl. Jack turned to Barbossa, looking for an answer.

"The sound of many tortured souls that perished in a most violent way. What you see bobbing in the water are the protectors of the ocean here. Ghastly wraiths that move on if they don't see you as a threat."

"This isn't purgatory," Elizabeth breathed, "it's Hell."

"In a sense," said Barbossa, "yes."

"Where exactly would we find Jack's father?"

"On the center island," Barbossa pointed toward a piece of land very close, "lies a single holding cell, reserved only for the most notorious and most wanted pirate ever to sail the seven seas."

"Hold on," Jack piped up. "I think notorious is too harsh of a word."

"Oh? And tell me, what word would _ya' _use?"

"Spirited," Jack answered without hesitation. "It's not his fault pirating is a crime."

"Would there be anyone guarding him," Will asked, getting back to the matter at hand.

"One single guard. But don't let that fool ya'. He's trained ta kill. A Chinese pirate named Sao Feng. Once we defeat the obstacles along the way, we'll have to duel him in order to get Jack's father."

"Sao Feng...that name sounds familiar."

"A ruthless pirate from Singapore. His soul is as black as the night and was said to be so callous that he betrayed his own crew and killed every single one of 'em."

"That's right," Jack said as he clearly started to remember something. "At one point he and my father crossed paths. My father ended up slicing off one his fingers and Sao Feng swore vengeance." Suddenly, a cold demeanor overtook Jack. "I believe it was Feng who sold my father out to the Navy. Cruel bastard."

"Don't worry, he's all yours once we find him."

"No," snapped Jack. "The only way we'll stand a chance is if we all duel him at once."

"Very well."

"Let go of the anchor," Barbossa barked to the crew.

"Ahoy! The anchor," the crew yelled in unison as they began their task. Barbossa then turned back to Jack, Will and Elizabeth.

"Fifteen minutes to get prepared and well armed."

They each nodded before heading below deck.

Meanwhile, the Flying Dutchman and Beckett's Naval ship broke through the fog wall. Without warning, the Dutchman dived into the black ocean. From their deck, Beckett and Norrington observed the action.

"What is he doing," Norrington wondered aloud.

"The element of surprise, Admiral," Beckett answered simply. "The element of surprise."

Just ahead, the Black Pearl was visible. The structure was floating in the middle of the sea, at the moment unaware of the impending danger.

"You think they're already ashore?"

"If they're not, then they're certainly preparing. Jones knows to wait for my signal before attacking."

"And what signal would that be?"

"The sound of cannonfire."

"Don't you realize that cannonfire would give us away!"

"Please, Admiral. Think logically. Once the remaining people aboard the Pearl realize that it was cannonfire, the Dutchman will have already begun its assault."

"So then I take it I should ready my men now?"

"Obviously. And send someone to fire the cannon when the time comes."

Norrington nodded and went about his duties. Beckett, meanwhile, couldn't help but smile maliciously at his plan. Very soon, piracy would only be a memory. And a new era would begin.


	18. Search and Rescue

Chapter 18

The rowboat of the Black Pearl was slowly lowered into the shallow waters. Inside sat Jack, Barbossa, Will, and Elizabeth. All of them were properly armed; each carried a sword in their hilt, a rifle strapped around their shoulders, pistols and other smaller sharp objects were stuffed down into their belts. The group was prepared for any surprise attack that waited for them, and in this place, each knew that it could be any moment. World's End radiated a certain aura that suggested that if you came here alive, you certainly wouldn't be leaving in the same condition. Around the boat, unsettling sights met each person's eyes. Those sights being things that looked remarkably like human bones, an obviously sickening thought. These bones belonged to the naive souls who tried to swim back to the land of the living, but ultimately failed miserably. The group didn't know this little fact, but the sight still sparked a certain sense of fear inside each of them. Except Barbossa. The confident captain was prepared to embrace any challenge that showed its ugly head. After all, he had spent quite some here, so Barbossa knew exactly what type of dangers to expect.

But right now he was silently gazing at the slowly approaching spit of land as Will and Jack rotated the oars in and out of the water. All of a sudden, something grabbed hold of the boat, halting it completely. Everyone looked down to see a ghastly skeleton emerge from the ocean, trying to climb inside the boat. Elizabeth let out a short scream of terror as Barbossa idly pulled out his pistol and shot the wraith, its bones flying in all directions from the blast. Finished, Barbossa simply reloaded it and replaced it in its hilt. He then addressed Jack and Will.

"Pick up the pace."

They didn't need telling twice as both Jack and Will started to row more furiously.

"What should we expect to find on this island besides Jack's father and this Sao Feng," Elizabeth asked Barbossa.

"If you simply must know, there's otherworldly creatures on this island. Creatures that compose your nightmares. Vicious, bloodthirsty monsters that are smarter and more deadly than they appear. Also, the vengeful spirits of deceased pirates inhabit the island as well, anxious for someone like us to duel."

"And here I thought it wouldn't be anything life-threatening," Jack joked.

Soon, they reached the island, tied the boat to shore, and began their dangerous trek into the tree-inhabited land. Crossing the threshold, each pirate drew their sword. The trees and bushes proved to be a nuisance, as everyone constantly had to slash and swipe at something green almost every minute. From above, a swooping sound started to become audible. Looking up, the small rescue team spotted a group of flying creatures that appeared to be a cross between a vulture and a bat. Apparently, the creatures had spotted the humans as well because they started to swoop down on them lethally. Thankfully, the group of pirates had their swords at the ready and cut at least two of the monsters down right away. However, three more were still left and they didn't show any signs of letting up as they came back in for the kill.

The creatures used the talons on their feet to try to disarm the crew. Immediately everyone swung their blades in a ful 360 degree arc, slicing each creature in half quite literally upon impact. Their first feat beaten, the team moved on.

"What _were_ those things," Elizabeth asked incredulously.

"Literally Bats out of Hell," Barbossa grinned.

"Makes sense," Jack shrugged. "Since we're in the place located directly above Hell, it seems natural to bump into some of its minions, eh?"

Not wanting to waste any valuable time, the group moved on, not wanting to run into any more of what they just encountered. Along the way, weird looking snakes slithered before them, crows cawed from above, and the wind rustled the trees eerily. As they were making their way down a mud path, Jack suddenly fell through the ground partially. Quicksand. Knowing exactly what he walked into, Jack raised his hands calmly above his head, waiting for someone to take hold of his hands. Will and Barbossa quickly grabbed one each and heaved, pulling Jack out successfully. Having escaped, Jack brushed himself off, but noticed something.

"Oh, bugger! The compass!"

He looked back and grabbed his compass right before it could sink any further into the ground.

"Close one, eh?"

"Keep a better grip on that compass, Jack," Barbossa warned him. "I think now especially it could come in handy."

"Well I'd say it's lucky that I actually know what I want at the moment." Jack opened the compass and looked intently at the dial inside. After spinning in circles for a few moments, the dial firmly pointed toward the Northeast direction. "We're supposed to be going in this direction." He pointed in the same direction as the compass. Barbossa nodded and lead the group in the new direction.

As they continued on, a question that had been in the back of Will's head ever since the night in Tortuga suddenly brought itself back to the front of his head. He then caught up with Jack.

"Jack, I need to ask you something."

"It certainly wouldn't be the first time. Go ahead."

"Before you came back to us on the Pearl, we dueled Jones and his crew in Tortuga."

"I see that as more of a statement than a question, mate."

"I'm not finished. When we fought them I noticed something. Some of them were killed. Now how is that possible when Jones and his crew are supposed to be part of the undead?"

"Ah, this I know. You see, their immortality basically comes from ol' fish face's heart. As long as the heart is in its proper resting place, Jones and his men are invulnerable to harm. But, if the heart is stolen and is put in the possession of someone else, then suddenly they're vulnerable. Fascinating how these types of things work out, isn't it?"

"But how is that possible?"

"Something to do with Calypso guarding over it on that island."

"Calypso?"

"Yeah. The supposed Goddess of the Sea. I've actually bumped paths with her. Back when that uptight snob Norrington was still chasing me, I asked for her help. She agreed by creating quite a hurricane and allowing us to escape."

"And Calypso didn't ask for anything in return?"

Jack rolled his eyes as he suddenly remembered. "Oh, bugger. I forgot. I did end up promising her the Pearl. But shortly after that, she became trapped in human form for eternity. So I'm off the hook!"

Suddenly, without warning, the ground around them began to shake violently. Jack shouted over to Barbossa.

"Hey, Barbossa! Mind filling us in on what the bloody hell is happening?"

"Even I'm not sure about this," he shouted back.

"Now," said Jack, "I may not be an expert on horrible incidents, but this can't be good."

Within seconds, the ground was quaking so violently, that a huge crack in the Earth wouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone. All of a sudden, bits and pieces of dirt and Earth popped up all around the foursome as if they had been set off by tiny explosives. Filling in the holes were things that you only see in your nightmares. Discolored hands with partly eaten away flesh sprung upward and grabbed portions of the ground. Soon, zombie-like figures began climbing up out of the Earth as if they had sprung from their coffins. Each zombie had pirate attire all over their body and each had a dark expression that made it seem like those were the faces each pirate had as they had met their end. Once all zombies had lifted themselves up from the inner Earth, each drew his sword and began advancing menacingly towards Jack, Barbossa, Will and Elizabeth.

"I'd say we're sort of in a pinch here, wouldn't you," Jack asked with only a small hint of fear eminent in his tone.

Elizabeth moved closer to Will for at least a little protection. "Can they die," she asked Barbossa.

"Technically no," he replied. "But we can at least dismantle them piece by piece."

"Dismantle? What do you mean by that exactly," Will questioned.

"I'm merely suggesting that we break off whatever body parts we can."

Elizabeth, despite the situation, gasped in shock at the suggestion.

"Oh, please. They're already dead. Losing a limb wouldn't be anything shocking to them."

"Plus, they started it," Jack commented.

"How many should each of us handle," inquired Will.

"As many as you can."

With that, the humans assaulted the zombies, weapons at the ready. But amazingly, the creatures seemed able and swift enough to deflect most of the attacks the pirates used against them. From an onlooker's point of view, it seemed unusual to see living, breathing human beings battling ghastly demons. Especially in a battle on this grand a scale.

Will was busy fighting two at once. He maneuvered himself in and out of the way at just the right moments, dodging the blades pretty much effortlessly. Will shifted his blade continuously from left to right, up to down while practicing the proper battle stances and lunges. Seeing an opportunity at last, Will brought down his sword on the first zombie's left arm, which dropped away instantly. There was no blood and the zombie was unaffected by the act; he simply kept dueling with a fury. Will once again saw a chance and knocked the ghoul's sword right out of his hand. It flew up into the air and Will caught it with ease. He then proceeded to chop off the legs and finally the head, all that was left was a torso. Satisfied, Will then advanced on his remaining opponent. In one swift movement with both blades, Will swung down the swords, cutting off both of the creature's arms at once. Smiling, Will then forcefully kicked the ghoul in the chest hard, knocking him over on his back. When the zombie attempted to get up, Will sliced off its remaining limbs.

Meanwhile, Barbossa was having a ball. He found these undead monsters to be a walk in the park. The pirate was giddily slicing away at any one of them who approached him while at the same time aimed his pistol and fired at one who was advancing on Jack. At Barbossa's feet lay many limbs of zombies, Barbossa's handiwork.

Elizabeth, however, could have used some help. And her salvation came quickly as Will raced up beside her and swung his sword in a way that caused him to chop off all three zombie heads at once. But from behind, another was about to bring down his blade on the lady pirate when all of a sudden, a firm hand grasped the wraith's wrist. The zombie turned his head in confusion to come face to face with Jack.

"You know, mate, most other people would consider that rude."

Elizabeth took the opportunity to send the monster's head barreling into the woods beyond.

"You're welcome," Jack grinned.

They all looked around. Every single zombie was now incapacitated, with their body parts strewn all over the ground.

"You know, this place is starting to get on my nerves," Jack grumbled.

"You can say that again," breathed Will as he tried to regain his breath.

"How much further," Elizabeth asked.

"The cell should be just beyond these woods," answered Barbossa as he pointed towards the thick expanse of woods that lay before them.

"So, should we expect to run into anymore dangers," Jack asked.

"I won't lie to ya, Jack," Barbossa replied, "there may be a few more obstacles in store for us."

"Well in that case," Jack said as removed a small canteen from his belt. He then took a long swig from it.

"What's in there," wondered Will.

"What do you think, mate? Rum! A pirate can only take so much of this."

"C'mon, let's get goin'." Barbossa started to lead the short trek through the woods. As he started to slice away branches and bushes that were in the way, Jack caught up with him.

"I don't know how I got mixed up in all of this, Barbossa."

"You don't? Well, let me remind you. If you hadn't sold your soul to Davy Jones in the first place, we wouldn't be here."

"What, are you blaming me?"

"Certainly not. I'm merely stating the facts the way they're presented."

"Yeah, alright."

"But c'mon, Jack. Isn't this what we all live for? Grand adventure on the high seas?"

"_You _may live for that, but me, I just want to live."

Barbossa chuckled at the comment as he continued on.

Behind them, Will and Elizabeth were contemplating the very same thing.

"You know," Will began, "I find it odd that we somehow always manage to get involved with one of Jack's misadventures. How is it that we came to be here in the first place?"

"Simple. The man we've all come to loathe recently, Lord Cutler Beckett."

"What I wouldn't give to duel him at the moment."

"I must admit that I wouldn't mind having him at the business end of a sword, due to the fact that he ruined our wedding. But sooner or later that time will come."

"And I'll welcome it with open arms when it does."

They continued on through the humid expanse of green for a few more moments until a creaking sound made itself known. All four of them scanned the forest in every way they could, desperately searching for the source. Suddenly, they found out the answer.

Around them, the tall thick trees sprung to life as their twisted branches began swiping furiously at the group. Jack, Barbossa, Will and Elizabeth each dived in different directions, trying to escape the weapons of destruction. As Will dove away from an incoming branch headfirst, he caught a glimpse of an opening ahead. Managing to examine the sight more closely without getting crushed, Will was able to spy an area of land that wasn't surrounded by trees. He then turned towards his allies.

"I see an opening ahead," he shouted. "Let's make our way towards it! Follow me!"

Will then wove in and out of the tree branches, managing not to get his ribs crushed. When the opening was a few feet away, he looked back to see where his friends were in terms of keeping up. Elizabeth was out in front, furiously swiping at sticks and twigs that were in her face. Will thrust out his hand for help and she gladly took it. Having a firm grip on his betrothed's palm, he pulled her closer and got a firm arm around her waist. Will then catapulted both of them through the opening, each landing beside one another on the ground. Shortly after, Jack and Barbossa came vaulting out.

"You know," Jack breathed heavily, "this place is _really_ starting to get on my bloody nerves."

"We're not out of this yet," Barbossa informed him. He had his gaze set on something in the distance.

As Will helped Elizabeth up, he got a better view of what exactly had Barbossa in a trance.

A short distance away, right in the very middle of the open area, stood a solitary structure that looked like a miniature holding cell. In front of it stood a solitary man; Sao Feng, the legendary Chinese pirate. Feng was bedecked in a red and black pirate uniform. On the chest, a symbol of a fire-breathing dragon clutching a sword in one of it's claws was embedded into the fabric. On his belt were two sword hilts that contained two swords; each was tied around both his sides. His head was completely shaven, the only facial hair being a razor-thin moustache and a small goatee. Nobody could tell this at the moment, but Feng's left ring finger was missing just below the joint. Feng's eyes definitely reflected his appearance; one that made anyone who laid eyes upon him feel ice cold inside. And right now those eyes were intently trained upon the four intruders of his island.

"Sao Feng," breathed Barbossa.

"These people are never how I picture them," commented Jack.

"So, shall we go over and make formal introductions," asked Will.

"Yes. Let's."

Meanwhile, in the shallow waters of World's End, the Black Pearl II waited patiently for their rescue team to return with their prize. However, the crew aboard weren't as patient.

"Where do you reckon they went," Ragetti asked.

"Dunno," replied Pintel nervously.

"You don't think they got eaten by some giant creature of the afterlife, do you?"

"If they did, I see no need to wait for 'em."

"No, our orders are we wait," Gibbs reminded the two of them as he came up. "If I know Jack well enough, and I do, then he'll probably find a way out of any danger."

"I hope you're right," said Pintel.

"First Mate's _always_ right. You should know better than to question me, or Jack for that matter. If you do, you might find yourself chained to the mast for insubordination."

A sudden sound from the side of the ship caught Gibbs' attention. Slowly making his way across the creaking wooden deck of the infamous pirate ship, Gibbs stealthily pulled a pistol from his belt and cocked it. Taking a deep breath, he peeked over the side.

Out of nowhere, a demonic hand reached up and shoved Gibbs down to the deck, his pistol knocked out of his grasp. Looking up, he saw the monstrous soldiers of Davy Jones climb up on deck of the Pearl, pull out their swords and other weapons, and start to take hostages. Gibbs desperately made an attempt to grab his pistol, but a ghastly foot knocked it away. Gibbs cautiously looked up, to come face to face with the legendary Davy Jones.

"Funny, you don't look like a First Mate to me." He grinned down at Gibbs maliciously.

Back on the island, the four pirates came face to face with their adversary. For a moment, it was just a staring competition, with no one blinking. Finally, after a few moments, the eerie silence was broken by Sao Feng.

"I take it you are here to rescue Sparrow," Feng said in a voice that was between a whisper and a regular tone.

"He's good," Jack whispered in Barbossa's ear.

"Ah, Jack Sparrow," Feng smiled venomously at Jack.

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow, if you don't mind."

"So, you've come to save your father from purgatory. I certainly admire your determination, Captain, but the question remains: you've come so far, but will you really go all the way?"

"Why don't we answer that question right here and now," Jack challenged as he whipped out his sword. Will, Elizabeth, and Barbossa followed suit.

Sao Feng simply smiled. "I must warn you, I've had the proper instructions with a sword since I was four." Feng drew both of his own swords in one quick flash. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"Neither do you," Jack replied slyly. He raised his sword and Jack and Sao Feng slowly started to circle each other. "I hope you don't mind, Fengy, but my friends here are going to join in as well."

"Killing four people at once is too easy a task."

Jack grinned. "We'll see how you hold up."

Will, Barbossa, and Elizabeth then surrounded Feng. Feng glanced around. "And so it begins."

Feng suddenly lunged forward and the epic battle began. He maneuvered his blades with cat-like reflexes, blocking each and every lunge that was made at him. As his opponents managed to cut him, Feng simply spun around, deflecting every blade expertly with ease. Jack put his blade in every open spot he could while his companions desperately tried to do the same. Without warning, Feng flipped up into midair, landing directly behind his challengers. He then raised a foot, and shoved Jack away. Barbossa then took the opening, and engaged Feng in battle yet again. Both swordsman were able to match each other's move without effort. Their blades went everywhere; from above their heads, to their waistlines, and many other locations. The two pirates continued their duel and started to move all over the ground as Jack, Will and Elizabeth all gave chase.

As the others tried to swipe at Feng, he merely shoved their swords away and went on with his task. Coming in front of the cell, Feng once again flipped in midair and landed on top of it. It wasn't too far off the ground, so the swordfight continued on. Feng kicked at his opponents, attempting to disarm them, but it didn't work. Jumping back down, Feng retrieved some sharp spinning disks from his inside robes and hurled them toward the four heroes. They all ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding being sliced. As they were still on the ground, Feng raced over and jumped up, raising both swords above his head. Jack managed to shove up his own sword just in time to struggle with Feng's.

"It is useless," Feng told Jack. "You cannot beat me."

"Nobody likes a bragger, mate," Jack retorted.

Feng then shoved Jack away. Feng then once again advanced on him, and spied Will joining Jack. Once Feng had reached both his opponents, he wasted no time in engaging them yet again in battle. Both Will and Jack worked furiously together to try and defeat Feng. They each took on one of Feng's sides, leaving Feng to use each of his arms for the different person. Quickly regaining control, Feng was able shove his opponents in either direction. Almost immediately, Elizabeth raced up to face Feng herself. Feng smirked.

"Ah. This will be interesting."

The two then got straight to it as they began yet another small duel. There were moments when both fighters managed to gain the upper hand for a while, but soon they were once again evenly matched. Just then, the other three members of Elizabeth's team came back into action, taking on Feng with a fury all at once. Each blow that was struck rattled the other's blade as the epic showdown grew in terms of battle tactics. It soon became a duel where anything went as each fighter began employing his or her own methods. The fighters were now moving in a circle around the cell and no one showed any signs of letting up.

Soon, hope began to show itself for Jack's crew as their teamwork finally began to pay off. Feng's blades were soon knocked out of his hands and he became weaponless.

"Not so confident now, eh," Jack teased.

"I'm not out of ideas," replied Feng.

He then raised his arms over his head and small knives popped out of his sleeves and into his hands. Without hesitation, Feng threw them at his opponents, and they all managed to step out of the way. After that, time seemed to stand still for a moment as everyone stood completely still. Then, suddenly, every pirate pulled out either a pistol or rifle and aimed at their enemies. Obviously, the majority of the weapons were trained on Feng.

"This is pointless," Barbossa said tiredly. "Just give up."

Feng chuckled while he pulled back the hammer of his own pistol. "I cannot die here. But you, on the other hand, can."

"Don't even try it," warned Barbossa. "The only way souls cannot be killed here is if it's attempted by another soul. However, if someone like us were to do it, there wouldn't be a way out of it for you."

Disappointment slowly etched itself across Feng's face. But before he could pull his trigger, everyone else had pulled theirs. The bullets lodged themselves in many places on Feng's chest, and he was dead even before he hit the ground. His face was expressionless.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jack put away his weapon along with everyone else. "Now, what say we spring my dad from his prison?'

"By all means," Will said as he walked over to Feng's body and removed a key from his belt. "You do the honors." Will handed Jack the key. Cautiously, Jack took it.

He then approached the door of the cell and slowly inserted the key into the lock and turned. Automatically, the door swung open by itself. Door open, Jack peered inside the dark room.

The only light was provided by a small window high up on the wall. Directly under it sat a stone bench, and on it a solitary man lay there. James Sparrow Sr. Noticing that the door had been open, James glinted into the outside light. His appearance was pretty much the same as his son's, looking like a definite pirate. He had an orange bandanna wrapped around his head with different strings of small objects dangling from it. He had a moustache and small beard as well, with his ragged clothing dangling in some places. Across his waist was strapped a belt with the usual sword, compass, etc. Now, as he stared into his son's eyes, confusion and joy mixed together on his face.

"Jack? Is it really you," he croaked out.

"Yeah, dad. It's me."

"Boy, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

James Sparrow then tightly embraced his son. As they looked on, the sight slightly moved Will and Elizabeth. Elizabeth smiled and rested her head upon Will's shoulder. Will, smiling but still gazing at the two men, put a comforting arm around her.

After a few moments, Jack pulled away. "Listen, dad. We came here to rescue you. Now that we have, we need to get back to the Pearl as quickly as possible."

"Did you kill Sao Feng?"

"Yep."

"Knew I taught you well. Now c'mon, I've been waiting for an excuse to escape this place."

They stepped outside. James eyed Will, Elizabeth, and Barbossa. "Friends of yours?"

"They helped me rescue you. May I introduce Hector Barbossa, William Turner, and his fiancé Elizabeth Swann."

"Nice to meet you, but we'll put the formalities on hold for a while as we escape this dreaded place."

"Couldn't agree more," smiled Will.

The group then quickly began to retrace their steps to shore. But little did they realize what would be waiting for them back on the Black Pearl.


	19. True Pirates

Chapter 19

Making their way back towards shore, the pirate group retraced their steps, trudging through both grass and sand alike. Everyone left deep footprints in their wake. Jack, Barbossa, Will, and Elizabeth were each heaving sighs of relief, glad that the hard part of their journey was over, at least for the moment. When they returned to the Pearl, each person intended on getting a nice rest before facing Davy Jones and his crew again, which they knew had to come sooner or later. At the moment, however, James Sparrow was making conversation.

"So, you all sailed here just for little ol' me?"

"Yes. And let me tell you, it wasn't an easy task," Barbossa informed him. "We had to endure all manners of danger to reach you."

"Did you by chance happen to run into any of those zombie pirates," Sparrow Sr. asked.

"Oh, most certainly."

"I hate those pesky little buggers. Too persistent. But I'm afraid that's how they're bred here."

"Must be in their blood," suggested Jack.

James turned to his son. "I must admit, I thought I'd never see you again."

"Same here."

"So what sort of pinches have you gotten yourself into while I was here?"

"Too many to keep track of, I'm afraid. But most recently, I've gotten on the bad side of Davy Jones due to the fact that I promised him my soul quite some time ago and now it's time for me to come through on my side of the deal."

"Is that it?"

"No, that's just the basics. On top of that, I set out to obtain the chest of Davy Jones because I knew that inside it was ol' fish face's heart. The heart was the one thing he wanted more than my soul. So after I found the chest, I nabbed the heart and took off. But then Jones himself attacked the Pearl with the beast formerly known as The Kraken. We managed to temporarily defeat the beast, giving us a window of opportunity in which we could escape. But little did I know that Ms. Soon-to-be-Turner here realized The Kraken's real goal was me. Having realized that, she then proceeded to kiss me, which was able to put me off guard as she shackled me to the ship. Young Elizabeth then escaped with the rest of the crew whilst I went down with the ship. After spending some time in the belly of the beast, I managed to escape my slimy prison and join these three here on the quest to save you."

"Save me? From what?"

"Davy Jones, Admiral James Norrington, and the snotty Cutler Beckett."

"Ah."

"Jack," piped up Will, suddenly remembering something, "Beckett told me when he sent me to find you that you each left a mark on each other. Obviously he was the one who branded you," Will indicated the capitalized "P" that was embedded into the flesh of Jack's right forearm, "but what mark did you leave on him?"

Jack smiled as he realized what Will was talking about. "Ah, yes. Well, let's just say that I had a bit of fun with him. Let's just say that it involved a bit of "snip-snip." Jack grinned.

Will and Elizabeth both suddenly halted in their tracks.

"You mean you..."

"Yep."

"And that's what Beckett..."

"Definitely."

"Well, no wonder he has so much distaste for you."

"Oh yeah. I eunuch-ized ol' Lord Cutler Beckett."

James Sparrow looked towards his son. "Is that also one of the many things you learned from me?"

"I believe so," Jack replied.

"Well, I must say that I definitely did teach you well. You're a pirate after my own heart."

"Well, I _am _your son."

"But Jack," persisted Will, "I don't understand. Exactly how did it happen?"

"Well, I guess you could say that my blade just "slipped" over that area, savvy? Beckett crossed me one too many times and I couldn't think of a more cruel and unusual punishment."

Will nodded and whispered in Elizabeth's ear, "Remind me to never cross Jack in that way, unless you want to be married to a eunuch." Elizabeth nodded and slightly grinned.

"Don't worry. If he ever tried to do that to you, well let's just say the tables would turn on Captain Jack Sparrow." She kissed his cheek.

"Now, son, did you say that the Black Pearl sank?"

"Yeah, but don't worry dad. An old friend of mine was able to craft an exact carbon copy of it and it's waiting for us just offshore."

"Excellent. I'd like to see if anything about it has changed since I was Captain."

"Oh, don't worry. I took really good care of it and made sure it stayed pretty much the same."

"Good. Cause I hate it when things change if there was nothing wrong with them in the first place."

"Exactly how I feel," said Jack.

"What about my hat?"

Jack glanced upwards toward the Captain's hat of his that was perched on the top of his head. "We'll get you a new one. I've grown too accustomed to yours, I'm afraid."

James grinned and looked towards Will and Elizabeth. "And how exactly do you two know Jack?"

"Well, sir," said Elizabeth, "we both sort of stumbled across Jack. He caused quite a bit of stress in our lives the first time we sailed with him, much like this time, but me and my fiancé have come to discover the honest and in a way, good man inside him."

"I can be honest at times, but mostly I'm honestly dishonest to say the least."

"Just like I was," his father smiled.

Just then, the group emerged from the thick, lush forest and came onto the sandy shore of the island. The small rowboat was just where they had left it. One by one, they each climbed into the rowboat and Jack and Will resumed their positions as paddlers. When the Pearl came into view, however, immediately everyone could tell that something was wrong. The main reason was that a Naval ship in addition to the spectral Flying Dutchman was floating on either side of the Pearl.

"It looks like we gained some unwelcome guests while we were on that island," said Barbossa.

"They're more likely expecting us," stated Will. "They'll be demanding that we hand over Jack's father once we set foot onboard."

"And they'll obviously have the crew taken hostage," added Jack. "So are we formulating a strategy on how to handle this?"

"I'm afraid we'll just have to do whatever we can," concluded Barbossa.

"And what exactly would that be," asked Elizabeth.

"I don't know yet."

Once they reached the side of the ship, the group slowly began to incline upwards toward the main deck. The moment everyone had stepped foot on the floor, they were immediately seized by some of Davy Jones' crew.

From across the deck, Davy Jones himself turned around to face the new arrivals. His pipe was once again clenched between his teeth.

"How nice of you to join us on such short notice," he sneered.

"Clever of you to converge on the Pearl while we were ashore. I must admit, Jones, you're smarter than you look," Jack smirked.

"Tut, tut. You are in no position to make such comments, Sparrow. Now, I trust you know what we're here for?"

"My father, of course."

"Wrong, Sparrow." The words came from another person who was standing with the captive crew across the deck. Lord Cutler Beckett, along with Admiral James Norrington. "We don't want your father, at least not at the moment."

"Well then, what is it you're really after?"

"That would be Ms. Swann."

"What," Will asked sharply. "Why?"

"We don't really feel like using brute force in obtaining our prize when it isn't necessary, Mr. Turner. We simply request Ms. Swann because Admiral Norrington, Mr. Jones, and myself wish to handle this like gentlemen. We plan to trade Ms. Swann for Sparrow Sr. at dawn tomorrow, when the sky has turned its deepest shade of red."

"And what if we refuse?"

Beckett sighed. "Then, I'm afraid, you will leave us no choice but to use force. That means we kill you all now and take Sparrow's father."

"You say you don't wish to use force," spat Will, "but apparently you would have no hesitation in simply killing us now."

"We're merely prepared to do what is necessary, Mr. Turner, And we find that killing you actually isn't completely necessary at the moment."

Jack glared at Beckett for a few moments. "And if we agreed to this, you'd hold up your end of the bargain?"

Will and Elizabeth both glared at Jack in shock at hearing his words.

"My associates and me are all men of our word, so you can pretty much trust us."

"Funny," commented Jack, "you claim to be a bureaucrat and yet you willingly engage in acts of piracy in order to do your business."

"I once again remind you, Mr. Sparrow, that I'm prepared to do what is necessary to get the job done. The question here is are you?"

Jack glared daggers at Beckett for quite some time before finally giving his answer. "I am," Jack nodded. "Very well, Beckett. You can have Elizabeth until dawn tomorrow, at which time me and my crew will be prepared to willingly hand over my father in exchange for her."

"Excellent. I knew you'd see things my way." He looked towards two of his soldiers who had their weapons trained on the Pearl crew. "Kindly escort Ms. Swann back to our ship for the time being." The men nodded and went about their orders.

"Jack," Will shouted. "You can't trust them! They're pirates!"

"We prefer a less provocative term, Mr. Turner."

As Elizabeth struggled against her captors, Will shouted out to her. "Don't worry! I promise we'll get you back here safely! I love you!"

"I love you too," Elizabeth shouted back.

"Consider this that favor you owe me," Jack told Elizabeth.

Jones nodded to his men and they released their captives.

"Until dawn, gentlemen," Beckett said before he turned on his heel and went back aboard his ship with Norrington and his men.

It was at that moment that Will Turner had been more scared than he ever had in his entire life. If Jack wasn't really planning on getting Elizabeth back, then Will would certainly find a way to himself. At dawn tomorrow, one way or the other, he was getting back his true love.


	20. The Plan

Chapter 20

An hour had passed since Elizabeth had been taken hostage, and Will couldn't allow his mind to be focused on anything else at the moment. He just couldn't believe that Jack had allowed Beckett to take Elizabeth. Will knew Jack, though. The man would make deals most of the time, but only if it benefitted himself somehow. But what could Jack possibly gain from temporarily handing Elizabeth over to Beckett? Somehow it didn't make sense. Deciding to get to the bottom of this, Will stormed into the Captain's Quarters, where Jack, his father, and Barbossa were currently located.

"Right now would be a really good time to fill me in on how exactly you're planning on getting Elizabeth back," Will snapped at Jack.

"Relax, mate. I have something all worked out."

"By all means, enlighten me."

"All in due time."

"No," Will shot back as he moved towards Jack. When he was at arms length, Will forcefully shoved Jack against the wall of the cabin. Will couldn't control his rash actions at the moment, due to the fact that he was completely consumed by white hot anger that was mainly directed toward Jack. "You're going to tell me right now how you plan on bringing Elizabeth back on this ship, or I swear I'll run you through."

"Mr. Turner, calm down," Barbossa warned him.

"Don't tell me to keep calm! You can't tell me that until you yourself have been in my position!"

"Listen Will," Jack began, "I understand how you feel at the moment. But if you don't let me go, I'm afraid I'll have to lock you in the brig."

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me what I want to know."

"It'll be rather hard for me due to the fact that you're currently cutting off my air supply," Jack wheezed.

Realizing that his arm was indeed pushed up against Jack's throat, Will nodded and released him. Jack cleared his throat a few times before going on.

"Boy, you're stronger than you look."

"Get on with it, Jack."

Jack sighed. "Alright, you wish to know why I so easily handed over your true love to one of my mortal enemies. Very well. The answer is plain and simple, leverage."

"You're using Elizabeth as leverage?"

"I'm not talking about Elizabeth, mate."

"Then, pre tell, what exactly _are_ you talking about," Will demanded.

"Again, it's simple. I'm talking about the heart of Davy Jones."

Immediately, Will was confused. "I don't understand. How does Jones' heart play into the trade?"

"You're young and naive and blinded by pure love, so I'll shift aside your current state of absentmindedness. At dawn, when we commence the trade, I'll find a way to sneak into Beckett's quarters, find the heart, steal it, and then come back aboard here as if everything's perfectly normal."

"So even though you actually will hand over your father, it won't make any difference since you'll then have control of Jones." Jack's plan was slowly starting to come into focus for Will.

"Exactly. Now you're catching on. So, once I have the heart in my possession, I'll find a way to meet with Jones. Then, we'll settle our debt and hopefully he'll help us defeat his current allies. Once all that is over, everything will be back to normal for the moment and you and dear Elizabeth will be finally be married by none other than the great Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?"

Having been finally shown the full picture, Will's mood lightened considerably. But there were still a few traces of doubt left inside him. "But what makes you think Beckett won't have the heart on him at the time of the trade."

"The trade is going to take place on his ship, so therefore he'll be confident enough of its safety for him to keep it in a special secret location of his?"

"And that would be somewhere in his Captain's Quarters?"

"More likely."

"But what happens if you're caught?"

"Have you forgotten who I am? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. No one's ever been able to capture me and permanently keep me locked away."

"Seriously, Jack. If it happens, what will you do?"

Jack sighed. "Goes to show how much confidence you have in me. Fine. If I'm caught, we'll all simply fight our way back on the ship. Now, personally, I deeply admire this plan. And not just because I came up with it. It's planned out, detailed, easy to remember. A true work of genius."

"Now," Jack's father piped up, "the only matter that's left to be resolved is who, besides me, Jack and Will, is accompanying us?"

"Me," said Barbossa.

"That should be sufficient, wouldn't you think?"

"Alright." Will walked over to the window and gazed out at the sky, which had the slightest hints of red starting to peek through the curtain of dark purple that currently hung in the air. "Dawn is in a few hours time. I really do hope that your plan works, Jack. If something happens to Elizabeth...I'll never be able to forgive myself."

Jack came over and rested a comforting, firm hand on Will's shoulder. "Don't worry, mate. If everything goes according to plan, then by this time tomorrow the two of you will most likely be married."

Will turned his head in Jack's direction, gracious at the moment that he had a friend like Jack.

Aboard Beckett's ship, Elizabeth was sitting in a chair in front of Beckett's desk, his quarter's dimly lit with candles and lanterns that were located in many places around the room. The door of the room opened, and in walked Beckett.

"May I offer you anything, Ms. Swann? A drink perhaps?"

"No thank you," Elizabeth said in the most courteous voice she could muster. "It seems that whenever I'm around you, somehow my appetite seems to quickly dissolve into thin air."

Beckett smirked. "Ah. Still angry with me over my putting a halt to your marriage, I see. Well, I suppose that's fair."

"Would you call kidnapping the governor's daughter fair," Elizabeth snapped back.

"I'm not kidnapping you, Ms. Swann. I'm merely "borrowing" you, if you will. You see, you're the only hope I have of obtaining Sparrow's father."

Elizabeth glared daggers at Beckett. "Why is Jack's father so important to you anyway?"

Beckett smirked. "Allow me to fill you in. You see, James Sparrow is the key to ending piracy as we know it."

"How, exactly?"

"Have you forgotten where we are, Ms. Swann? A place filled with supernatural occurrences. If I were to kill Sparrow's father, who is the very spirit of piracy here in these shallow waters, then piracy itself would slowly start to die out. A dream me and my superiors at the East India Company have had for quite some time."

"I wouldn't be too overly confident if I were you, Beckett. Knowing Jack, he'll have something up his sleeve to throw at you."

Beckett smiled as he made his way behind his desk and dropped the sack containing Davy Jones' heart onto it. "I have every reason to be confident, considering into my calculations that I have the legendary Davy Jones and his crew at my command." Beckett then placed the sack into his East India Trading Company box and sealed it. "Right now, Jack Sparrow is nothing more than a common man on a fool's errand."

"Jack is more of a good man than you think he is."

"I'm sure he is. But in the eyes of the Trading Company and me, he'll always be a notorious pirate who needs to be brought to justice one way or the other."

A pause followed Beckett's last words. Finally, Elizabeth spoke up. "I can't wait until Jack along with Will and me show you what true justice really is."

Beckett smiled. "We're not in a bedtime story, Ms. Swann. We're in the real world, and good doesn't always triumph over evil in the real world."

Meanwhile, aboard the Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones once again made his way down towards the holding cells. He soon came to a halt in front of Bootstrap Bill Turner's cell.

"It appears the end is in sight for you," Jones informed him silkily.

"How so," Bootstrap grunted back.

"It seems my partners have managed to take Ms. Swann from the Pearl. At dawn they command a trade. Ms. Swann for Sparrow's father. The trade will take place aboard Beckett's ship and to my knowledge, your son will be present. So, I'd like you to attend."

"And you want me to kill William then?"

"Of course. When else would you be presented with the perfect opportunity?"

Bootstrap shook his head in disbelief. "You really are a sick man."

"It's just my nature. But let me remind you once again, if you don't kill him, then I will. Keep that in mind."

An eerie silence followed those sinister words.

"Now, can I trust you enough to allow you to join us up on deck."

"Yes. I really don't see the point in resisting anymore."

"Very wise of you to finally realize that."

Jones then proceeded to unlock Bootstrap's cell door and then he guided him up the steps, out into the chilly early hours of morning that one could only experience in World's End.

A few hours later, the deep shade of purple in the sky had finally been replaced with a blood red color, signifying that dawn had finally come. It was time.


	21. Stealing The Heart

Chapter 21

The blood red sky certainly reflected the tone and tension of what was about to happen. Everything seemed to have come down to piracy. It was piracy that had temporarily torn Will and Elizabeth apart on their wedding day. It was piracy that made Jack go after the Dead Man's Chest. Because of piracy Jack had handed over his soul to Davy Jones 13 years ago. Piracy had made Beckett and Norrington attempt to stand in their way. And it was piracy that caused Elizabeth to be kidnapped. Will stood on the deck of the Pearl, these very thoughts currently swirling around inside his head. After spending most of a sleepless morning waiting for dawn to come, Will had realized that whether people liked it or not, everyone had at least some traces of pirate in their blood. No living human being could live their lives without committing some act of piracy, no matter how big or small.

Having realized this, Will began to wonder what was really the point of trying to exterminate piracy when it would obviously still keep thriving, perhaps for many years to come. In recent days especially, Will had begun to question why exactly he himself loathed even the term "pirate" in the first place. If you looked at it from a certain viewpoint, piracy could sometimes be described as the right course of action when all other courses had failed. Captain Jack Sparrow had proven this to Will five years ago, when he had shown how even the most respectable, law-abiding men and women could be considered villains in their own terms. Because of that realization, Will had developed a profound sense of respect for the good captain and had saved Jack's life. The idea that bureaucratic men and high-ranking officials such as Beckett could now be considered pirates as well was only too true at the moment. Beckett had abducted Elizabeth for his own purposes and no other act such as that screamed pirate more. Beckett and Norrington needed to be shown what true justice really is and if the crew of the Black Pearl gained the help of Davy Jones, Will knew that they would most definitely be brought to justice.

Jack then strutted up beside Will and brought him back to reality.

"You ready," Jack ashed him straight-out.

"Yeah," Will replied plainly. "But Jack, I have one more question to ask you before we commence this plan."

"Shoot."

"Do you honestly think that Beckett won't notice that the heart is missing after you steal it?"

Jack smiled. "I knew you were gonna ask me that." Jack reached inside his pocket and produced a small sack, its contents unknown to Will. "I'm simply going to switch the sacks."

"What's inside it?"

"Just enough sand to pass off for a beating heart. You see, this brilliantly clever idea struck me whilst we were on the island, so I gathered up quite a bit of sand and dumped it all into this here pouch."

"Clever," Will admitted.

"Thanks. I thought it was rather smart meself."

"Jack," Barbossa called out from across the deck, "we'd best get goin'. Wouldn't want to keep 'em waitin' now, would we?"

"Certainly not," Jack replied. He and Will then made their way to where Barbossa and Jack's father currently stood. In front of them, steadied between the two vessels, was a solid-looking wooden plank. This would be used to cross over from ship to ship, instead of just using ropes. Making sure that the board would hold under their weight, Jack led the way. Will immediately followed suit, as did Barbossa and James Sparrow.

Stepping foot aboard the Naval vessel, the four comrades spied many Naval soldiers on the other side of the ship, along with Admiral Norrington and Lord Cutler Beckett, who currently had a firm grip on Elizabeth's left arm.

"Beautiful sky, wouldn't you say," Beckett asked quite simply.

"Gorgeous," answered Jack. "Now, please, let us do away with the friendly chit-chat and just get on down to business."

"I agree with the good old Captain," Norrington spoke up. "Let's just do what needs to be done."

"Very well," Beckett agreed.

"How shall we do it, then," Jack asked.

"Quite simple, both Ms. Swann and your father walk out towards the other side at once."

"Hold on," a cold voice suddenly spoke up. "Can't start without us."

Davy Jones and Bootstrap Bill Turner stood on the upper deck.

"Dad," Will shouted out. "What are you doing here?"

"Let's just say his service to me is about to come to a close," Jones sneered as he and Bootstrap slowly descended the small set of stairs and joined in on the action.

"What exactly does that mean?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough. Now, please. Carry on."

Beckett nodded while Elizabeth wrenched her arm free of his grasp and slowly started to make her way over to the other side of the ship. At the same time, Jack nodded at his father. Before James had even taken one step, Jack muttered in his ear. "Trust me." James gave his son a curt nod and started to make his way towards his own destination.

When they both reached the center of the deck, both Elizabeth and James briefly glanced at each other. Once Elizabeth had reached Jack's side, she and Will kissed before tightly embracing each other. Meanwhile, James was seized and shackles were slapped across his wrists. Beckett smirked.

"The famous James Sparrow. Caught for the second time by the British Royal Navy."

"For the moment," James grinned.

Beckett then nodded to the two soldiers who held James by his arms and they proceeded to guide him down to the brig. Beckett turned to face Jack.

"Business concluded. You may now return to your ship."

"Not just yet," Will said as he walked over to his father. "Why are you here?"

"Forgive me," Bootstrap said sorrowfully. He then slowly raised a sword over his head as Will stared at him in shock.

"Will!" Elizabeth raced over and stood protectively in front of Will.

"Get out of the way, you foolish girl," Davy Jones spat.

"No," Elizabeth shot back defiantly. "If you want to kill Will, then you'll have to kill me too."

Bootstrap glanced over at Jones.

"So be it," he answered tonelessly.

As Will and Elizabeth once again tightly held on to each other, Jack recognized his opportunity and raced over to the scene. He raised his arms.

"Bill, c'mon, you can't kill your own son. I know you. You just don't have it in you."

"Please, Jack," Bootstrap pleaded, "this doesn't concern you."

"It sure as hell does when it involves two of my closest friends!"

Jack then drew his sword from its hilt and raised it. Doing so when Jones wasn't paying attention, Jack gestured with his eyes towards the Captain's Quarters, only a few feet away. Picking up on his plan, Bootstrap grinned.

"Kill them all," Jones sneered.

Bootstrap then let out a roar and shoved Jack to the side, causing him to go flying and crashing through the door that led into Beckett's quarters.

Meanwhile, both Will and Elizabeth whipped out their swords, theirs meeting Bootstrap's in midair. Managing at the right time to wink at Will and Elizabeth, Bootstrap then spun around to face Jones, who immediately drew his own weapon.

"I should have known you wouldn't have the gall to do it!"

"Then why'd you ask?"

Will and Elizabeth soon joined in on the small duel while some of Beckett's men tried to help out. Barbossa jumped into the action quick as a flash, engaging many soldiers in battle. Beckett and Norrington stood by, watching in amusement.

Back in Beckett's quarters, Jack picked himself up while checking for any serious injuries. He found none.

"Ha! Not a scratch! Nothing can faze Captain Jack Sparrow!"

He then peered out the window, making sure he could carry on without any interruptions.

"Excellent diversion, Will."

Jack then casually made his way toward Beckett's desk. "Now, if I were a beating heart of the Devil of the Deep, where would I be hiding?"

Jack quickly scanned the top of the desk, his eyes finally resting upon the East India Trading Company box of Beckett's.

"Please, Beckett. At least give me a challenge."

He carefully lifted the lid as if it were a grenade on the brink of explosion. Gracefully setting it down beside the box, Jack tentatively peered into the box. There, in the very center of the small wooden structure, lay the small smack that was vibrating to the beating sound that was audible. Smiling victoriously, Jack pulled out his own sack from his coat while he gently scooped up the other one, the heart cradled in his palm.

"The moment of truth."

He then laid the replacement sack down in exactly the same spot the heart had been before. The switch done, Jack proceeded to replace the lid of the box in the exact same position it was in when Jack had stumbled inside.

"Whadd'ya know," Jack mumbled to himself, "I actually did it."

He carefully placed the heart sack in the inside pocket of his jacket, patted it reassuringly, drew his very own sword, and leaped outside to join in the fight.

Jack had to admit that he was rather surprised to see how the whole thing was turning out. Even though his side was greatly outnumbered, Jack's small band had the upper hand. Many bodies of Beckett's men lay strewn across the floor, each sporting a fresh red gash on their stomachs. Only few soldiers were left standing. Will, Elizabeth, and Bootstrap were doing quite well in battling Davy Jones. They managed to match his every move without any signs of tiredness betraying them.

Seeing that he wasn't really needed here, Jack replaced his sword and decided to make a run for it.

"Back to the Pearl, everyone!"

His teammates all glanced toward his retreating form and followed suit. Even Bootstrap fled with them. Davy Jones tried to seize him, but he was seconds too late.

"Come back here, Bill Turner! I'm not through with you yet!"

"Well I'm through with you!"

"Take that, you slimy ol' git," Jack called back over his shoulder. "Oh, and if I were you, I'd check on the status of your precious heart!"

The last sentence left Jones confused.

Once everyone had gotten back safely, Jack threw his end of the wooden crossing plank off the ship, causing the other end to fall as well, and the whole plank fell into the watery depths below.

"Set sail! Get us to the next nearest island."

Jack's orders were apparently heard as the ship immediately went into motion.

Jack then turned back to his counterparts, mainly looking towards Bootstrap.

"Well it seems we have a new passenger aboard."

"Good to be off that decaying monstrosity of Jones'."

"I'd bet."

"Were you really going to kill me," Will asked his father.

"Course I wasn't," Bootstrap stated matter-of-factly. "I was going to use it as a distraction anyway for you to get back on the Pearl."

"_I_ could have told ya that, mate," Jack said to Will.

Will turned to Jack. "Were you successful, then?"

Jack grinned in his usual manner. "Do you even have to ask?" He proudly pulled the sack containing Jones' heart from his inside pocket.

"His heart," Elizabeth exclaimed. "That's why you handed me over to Beckett!"

"Of course. What you didn't trust me?"

"No."

"I take umbridge to that, luv."

"Anyway, the point is we're now in control of Davy Jones," Bootstrap piped up.

"Yes. And it's only a matter of time before he himself realizes it." Jack smiled broadly, quite proud of himself at the moment. "But before I give him any orders, we once and for all need to settle our little debt."


	22. The Proposition

Chapter 22

Consumed by nothing less than pure anger, Davy Jones mulled over Jack's last parting words to him in his head. Jones couldn't understand this. Did this mean that Sparrow had somehow taken possession of his heart? But how could he? Sparrow was never–

Jones stopped. There _was_ a moment when Sparrow had been out of sight. That was when Bill Turner had knocked him into Beckett's Quarters. And being all alone inside that room, where Jones' heart happened to be, Sparrow could have easily stolen the heart without being noticed. Jones closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, refusing to believe the facts that were currently being presented to him. Sparrow couldn't possibly have control over him, Jones just couldn't accept it. But a part of him deep down inside told him the inevitable.

Focusing on the rhythmic pounding of his heart, Jones easily pinpointed its exact location within seconds. The source of the beating was indeed coming from the Black Pearl, and not from Beckett's Naval vessel that was currently floating beside the Dutchman. Jones now knew what he had to do. Keeping his eyes shut tight, he concentrated hard, allowing himself to be whisked away to his destination. When he opened his eyes, Jones found himself within Jack Sparrow's Quarters onboard the Black Pearl.

Sparrow himself sat leisurely behind his desk, his feet propped up on it and a stupid grin spread across his face. In one of his hands dangled a sack that was vibrating to a deep beating sound.

"I must admit," said Jack, "I expected you rather sooner."

Jones stormed over in front of the desk and glared down menacingly at Jack. "Give me back my heart," Jones spat.

Jack put his forefinger to his chin, mock-thinking. "No, I don't think will. You see, this is too valuable to just toss away, which would allow anyone to take it from me. But of course, you already know what that feels like, don't you?"

Jones forced himself to regain his composure and appear as calm and civilized as possible. "Well then, I take it you have a proposition for me."

Jack grinned and set his feet back down on the ground. "I like how fast you pick up on things, mate. Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have a proposition to make to you. But there is a far more important matter at hand that we need to address first."

"And that would be?"

"Our little agreement we made some thirteen years ago that I have yet to pay up on. Surely by now you know what I mean."

"Ah, yes," Jones grinned knowingly. "The little business matter that concerns your soul."

"Yeah, that one. I think it's high time we once and for all settled that debt, wouldn't you say?"

"I most definitely would."

"Excellent. We'll settle that deal by making a new one. If you agree to help me out, then you have my word that I'll willingly hand over your heart."

Jones snorted in amusement. "Well, it seems I already made a pact with Beckett and Norrington."

"I don't care," Jack stated simply. "Clearly they're not in control over you anymore. But think about it, who would you rather serve. A snotty, stuck-up, stinky eunuch like Beckett along with his prat Admiral Norrington, or good ol' Captain Jack Sparrow?"

"I suppose you have a point," Jones admitted after a short pause.

"Of course I do. You can trust me more than both Beckett and Norrington combined, simply because I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?"

"So are you going to tell me your little plan or not," Jones asked.

"Ah," Jack said, focusing back. "Yes, my mistake. So, I have a plan."

"Which is...?"

"A good one, to say the least." After getting a glare from Jones, Jack immediately continued on. "Yes, well. As you know, me and Beckett are not on good terms. The same thing goes for Norrington and me. We're like apples and oranges. Gold and silver. Rum and...whatever doesn't mix well with rum. Those two are simply against everything we honorable pirates are for. So, I've come to the conclusion that they can't stick around much longer. They have to go, no questions asked."

"And you think I can assist you with that?"

"I don't think so mate, I know so."

"Based on what?"

"Well, for starters, I have your heart. Therefore, you must do whatever I say. Secondly, you have a reputation for being the "Devil of the Deep", if you will. You command a crew of misshapen monsters and you captain one of the most feared ships of the Seven Seas. Many powerful tools of destruction are at your fingers. And I ask the question, why not _really_ put them to good use?"

"You want me to help you defeat Beckett and Norrington, then?"

Jack gave him a look. "I was gonna say that. But, yes. That is indeed what I would like you to help me with."

"And in return you can guarantee my heart?"

"C'mon, mate. Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?"

"Plenty."

"Well, I assure you that this time my word is genuine."

"Seeing as you have my heart, I feel obliged to trust you."

"Good. Now, there's also the matter of my father being held captive by Lord Beckett."

"And you want me to help you free him, right?"

"I admire how intuitive you are. Yes, I'd very much appreciate your assistance in that department as well. Now, I think it's best not to let our little anti-pirate friends know about our current situation, to keep things in our favor."

"I agree that would be the proper course to pursue."

"Yes, they need to still operate under the assumption that they're still in command, until the opportune moment. By that time, you will have lured them onto the island we're currently adrift next to," (Jack indicated the island in question by means of his window) "where young Mr. Turner, Ms. Swann and meself will be waiting for you. Ol' Bootstrap will stay behind and help your crew defeat whatever remains of Beckett's. It's there that I intend to put a stop to all this rubbish."

Jones silently mulled over Jack's plan for a few moments. "And do you want me to bring your father with us to the island as well?"

"Of course. Why would I not want you to?"

"And when exactly is this little event going to transpire?"

"In exactly three hours. Tell Beckett that you think they'll be able to defeat me if they can take me by surprise. But of course, they're gonna be the ones who'll be surprised. Just think, when it's all over, I'll finally be out of your hair, er, tentacles."

Jones once more went over Jack's proposition step by step inside his head. "Very well, Sparrow. We have an accord. Funny, you really are smarter than you act."

"Um, don't you mean look?"

"No. I don't."

Business completed, Jones slunk into the shadows of the room and disappeared into thin air.

Elsewhere on the ship, Bootstrap Bill Turner was busy catching up with his son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

"So, how'd you two meet?"

Will and Elizabeth looked at each other. "It's quite a tale, really," Will began.

"Yes, you see, I was sailing with my father on the crossing from England. I was standing at the rail, gazing out into a thick mist, when I sped an umbrella floating on its top in the middle of the ocean," Elizabeth began to recount the memorable day. "Curious, I looked out further at sea and saw Will lying on a piece of driftwood, unconscious. After he was hauled aboard, men aboard noticed that a ship had been fired upon by pirates. Most said it was most likely the powder magazines, but everyone just knew what had really happened."

Bootstrap looked to his son. "That must have been the ship you and your mother were sailing home on."

Will nodded. "It was. Before she sent me off, she handed me a gold coin. She said it was yours and that you meant for it to be passed on to me. Before I could say another word, an explosion blew me backwards and knocked me overboard. Thankfully, I landed on a piece of wood that had broken off from the ship during the attack. But Mother died during the attack. I was knocked unconscious upon impact, and the next thing I knew, I was staring up into the eyes of an angel."

Elizabeth tightly grasped Will's hand, both because of his last few words and because she knew how hard it must have been for him to recount those dreadful events. Gracious for the comfort she offered, Will hugged her.

"After that," he continued while still holding on to Elizabeth, "we both grew closer over the years and became the best of friends. It only took me a short while to realize that I loved Elizabeth deeply, and it wasn't until Jack arrived in Tortuga and helped me rescue Elizabeth from Barbossa's grasp that I made my love for her as pronounced as ever." Will then kissed Elizabeth on the forehead.

"Well, she sounds like the perfect woman for you," Bootstrao smiled at his son. "Come to think of it, you two really do remind me of your mother and I. Can I offer you some advice, though? Never let her go."

"Don't worry. I won't."

"When's the wedding?"

"Right after we defeat Beckett, Norrington, and Jones. Jack's doing the ceremony."

"Is he now? Well that'll be interesting considering that I've never seen him perform a wedding."

"I'm quite good at it as a matter of fact," Jack's voice rang out.

All three turned to see the noble Captain standing before them. "Hate to break up the lovebird session," he glanced towards Will and Elizabeth, "but it's my duty to inform you that in exactly three hours' time, we'll be putting an end to all the trouble Beckett and Norrington have caused us recently."

"So I take it Jones agreed to your plan," asked Will.

"Well he had no choice, did he? But he did admit that he thought it was a rather good plan."

"Let's just hope it works," Elizabeth said.

"It'll work. Trust me."

"Most of the time, Jack, we find that hard to do," said Will.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? Am I totally untrustworthy?"

"You yourself said you were untrustworthy."

Jack smiled to himself as he remembered that. "Ah, yes. I did say that, didn't I? Oh well, it's in my blood, I guess."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Pirate," she said under her breath.

"Thanks for the compliment, luv," Jack smiled.


	23. Setting Things In Motion

Chapter 23

Out of thin air, Davy Jones appeared onboard Beckett's ship and slowly made his way into his small office. Beckett sat behind his desk, glancing over some documents and such from the East India Trading Company. Upon noticing he had a visitor, Beckett glanced up from the papers.

"I take it you have a good reason for barging in here rather unexpectedly," he asked in his usual manner.

Jones plastered the best smile he could muster on his face. "Of course."

"And that reason being?"

"I believe that I've formulated a rather good plan on how to defeat Sparrow."

"I'm listening," Beckett said as he shifted aside his papers, now interested in far more pressing matters.

Jones wasted no time in doing what he had to do. "After mulling things over for a bit, I've come to the conclusion that our best tactic in capturing Sparrow would be to take him by surprise."

"Right now you're just stating the obvious."

"Very well then. Let me get to the point. You obviously know by now that my vessel can submerge underwater, so as I've done before, I could dive down into the ocean, take Sparrow by surprise, fire upon his ship and force him to retreat to shore, where you and your men will be waiting for them. It'll be then that you'll have truly conquered piracy in all its forms."

"And what of Sparrow's father?"

"You could simply bring him with you and do his son a favor by killing his father right before his eyes. After that, you can give me back my heart and we'll both go about our business as if this whole incident never happened."

"And you already have an island in mind for this showdown?"

"Yes. Sparrow's ship is currently floating beside an island which should be suitable for this little event. And it would be a pleasure if Admiral Norrington came along as well. I know that he would very much appreciate being able to once and for all run Sparrow through."

"Yes, with Sparrow dead that would be one more fly out of the East India Company's hair."

"Whatever way you look at it, Beckett, you can't lose."

Beckett gazed at Jones, silently contemplating his proposed idea. Finally, after a few minutes, Beckett made his decision.

"Very well, Jones. It will be rather good to finally end this escapade and get back down to more important matters with my employers. How long will it take to get to this island?" Beckett glanced towards a small clock mounted on the wall.

Jones looked at it himself. "Only a short while, really. It's only a couple of miles away."

"I'm going to go give our new bearings and prepare my crew for battle. I suggest you do the same, Jones."

"No problem."

As Jones departed the ship, he couldn't help but grin to himself. Beckett had eaten it up without question, just as Jones had hoped. Beckett had too big of an ego to pass up an opportunity such as this. Beckett's agreement had also confirmed to Jones just how foolish men of government such as Beckett could be.


	24. A Dress In His Cabin

Chapter 24

Two and a half hours later, both the Black Pearl and Beckett's ship were within the closest proximity to the island as possible, but each was just outside their line of vision. From aboard the Black Pearl II, however, Jack could see Beckett's vessel as clear as day through his telescope. As Jack lowered the scope, he couldn't help but grin to himself.

"The dumb bloke bought it, just as planned."

Jack tossed the scope to Gibbs, who caught it.

"Cap'n," Gibbs said to Jack, "are you absolutely sure this is going to work?"

Jack gave Gibbs a look. "How many times do I have to say this? _Yes, _I'm sure. As I've told you, me, Will, Elizabeth, and Barbossa will go ashore for our little duel with Beckett and whatever men of his he brings along. You and the rest of the crew will stay behind here, making sure that a surprise attack doesn't accidentally take us by surprise while Bootstrap will go and help Jones' crew defeat what remains of Beckett's crew on his ship, ultimately destroying it in the process. Savvy?"

Gibbs hesitated a moment before answering, quickly taking in everything that his captain had told him. "Aye," he answered.

Jack nodded, turned around, and caught sight of Pintel and Ragetti fooling around and arguing with each other as usual. "Oh, and make sure those two don't do anything...stupid."

Jack then went below deck, where the rest of his team was preparing for battle. "Everyone set and ready to go?"

"Yes," they all answered at once.

"Good. I should hope so."

Jack made his way over to Elizabeth, who was busy arming herself with all the necessary weapons.

"Do you have a moment," he asked her.

"More like just a second, Jack. What is it?"

"Well, remember when I said that I happened to have no dress in my cabin?"

"Yes. What's your point?"

"My point is that statement wasn't entirely true."

Elizabeth immediately stopped what she was doing and looked up at Jack in confusion. "I would love for you to tell me where you're going with this, Jack."

"Of course. Well, seeing as you and Will will happen to be married by me in a few hours, a bride can't really be married properly without the proper attire."

Elizabeth's eyes suddenly lit up as she caught on. "Jack, are you saying you have a wedding dress for me?"

"Well, technically, it's not actually yours. But, I'll be willing to let you loan it for this special occasion. I believe it's the right size as well," Jack added as he quickly scanned Elizabeth up and down.

"Oh, Jack! You don't realize how much this means to me! Thank you!"

"Yes, it's one I've kept for emergencies such as this. And I think I have a very good understanding of your feelings at the moment considering that I have an excellent understanding of the female anatomy."

"Anyway, thanks again."

"Think nothing of it, luv. As I've said before, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

He then turned towards the rest. "All right gents, and lady, prepare to go ashore."


	25. Mutiny

Chapter 25

At that very same moment, Davy Jones had joined Beckett and Norrington aboard their ship, gazing dead-on towards the island they were soon to go ashore to.

"We should get going," Norrington suggested.

"Yes," Beckett agreed. "All of our men are well-armed and ready for combat." He turned to face Jones. "I take it you're coming along?"

"That goes without saying, I think."

"Very well. Bring over Sparrow." Beckett glanced toward two Naval officers, who currently had a firm grip on both of James Sparrow's arms. Beckett nodded curtly to them, and the officers immediately brought over their captive.

"One era ends while another begins," Beckett told James snidely.

"It would appear that way, wouldn't it," James shot back.

As the rest boarded the escape boat, Jones quickly strutted over to one of his crewmen and leaned in close so that only he could hear what he had to say.

"Once we're well out into the ocean, you know what to do."

"Aye, aye Captain," the crewman replied.

Jones looked around the deck for a final glance before finally boarding the small boat.

As the boat slowly but surely made its way toward its destination, not one person uttered a word. Everyone just stared intently at the small spit of land in the middle of the sea that was growing larger by the minute.

Back aboard Beckett's ship, the crewman that had just spoken with Jones watched from the ship's railing as the boat finally reached land. The pirate exhaled slowly and turned back to face the men of his that had come with him and the soldiers of Beckett's that had opted to stay behind. He looked towards his men and gave them the conspicuous nod that they were waiting for.

Suddenly, the sea creature pirates drew their weapons and advanced without hesitation upon Beckett's men while Bootstrap Bill Turner climbed aboard, sword at the ready, and immediately joined in on the fight.


	26. The Battle

Chapter 26

This was what it all ultimately boiled down to. The fight between good and evil that would decide it all. As Beckett and his crew stepped foot on the island, they all spied Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and Barbossa, who were currently standing on the island leisurely, curiously relaxed given the situation. As the second group reached the first, everyone whipped out their swords in one quick motion.

"So," Jack broke the silence, "you got my invitation?"

"You were waiting for us," Beckett observed. "It was a trap."

"Gee, you men of government really _are_ smart!"

"Then that means Jones lured us into this trap." Beckett's gaze immediately shot towards Davy Jones, who was grinning sinisterly towards his former master. "Then that means the heart..."

"Is no longer in your possession," Jack gladly finished for him. He then patted the pouch which contained the heart; it was tied to his belt. "You really should keep a more watchful eye over your personal belongings, mate."

"Enough," Norrington spat. "We came here for a reason: to kill you and all your friends."

"We'll see who gets killed here today," Will threatened.

Jack conspiratorially glanced at Jones, who curtly nodded. Jones then pushed aside the two guards holding James aside before lodging his blade into both their chests. Jones then sliced James' bonds, took one of the dead guards' swords, tossed it to James who caught it, and then started off the duel.

The rest of the duelers immediately got to business as everyone engaged each other in battle. Jack and his father busied themselves with Beckett, Will and Elizabeth with Norrington, and Barbossa and Davy Jones against Beckett's men.

Everyone poured their sweat and blood into each swing of their sword, their eyes never leaving their opponent's. This duel to the death was one where anything went, so dirty tactics were obviously employed by anyone who could think of any to use. As Barbossa and Jones defeated the Naval men one by one, Will and Elizabeth fought furiously beside one another, aiding each other in every way possible. Even though the odds were uneven in every separate duel, no one actually payed attention to the numbers as they were too busy clashing metal. Each team slowly waltzed across every inch of land on the shore. Soon though, each party began to make their way back into the deep, green forest of trees behind them.

However, Barbossa and Jones finished their job on the shore as they each momentarily lodged their blades within every henchman's chest. Each soldier either slumped or just plain fell to the ground hard motionless. Barbossa and Jones then eyed the path everyone else had taken and immediately gave chase.

Jack and his father were both skilled swordsmen, and their current situation certainly proved it. Both father and son were running backwards while deflecting each swing of the sword that Beckett threw their way without sympathy. Beckett soon cornered them both against a tree and lunged his blade forward without hesitation. Jack and James both ducked at the same, and right, time. The action caused Beckett's sword to become lodged into the bark. Seizing the opportunity, Jack landed his fist against the side of Beckett's jaw. Beckett allowed himself only a second to regain his composure before elbowing Jack away and kicking James. With surprising strength, Beckett pulled his sword from the tree and continued on with the duel.

As he once again battled Jack, Beckett eyed the sack containing Davy Jones' heart, which was tied to Jack's belt. An inspiration suddenly flashed inside Beckett's mind and he swiped his sword directly in front of Jack's waist. The captain dodged the blow, but he wasn't able to stop Beckett's blade from hitting its true mark. The sword had cut the rope that was binding the heart to Jack's belt, causing the sack to fall to the ground. Realizing what had happened, Jack immediately dived for the sack, but a fraction of a second too late. Beckett forced Jack aside and scooped up the sack.

He grinned. "Let's see how you fare without the assistance of the Devil of the Deep."

Before he carried out his intentions, Beckett eyed Barbossa and Jones racing towards them.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Jones."

Beckett then wasted no time in plunging the tip of his blade directly into the middle of the sack. From afar, Jones suddenly drooped his sword and clutched his chest in pain. After a few seconds, he feel over, motionless.

Infuriated, Jack knocked the sack from Beckett's grasp and once again punched him in the face. This time, Jack hit Beckett in the face directly, and he felt a bone break in Beckett's nose. Jack wiped the blood from his knuckles as he ran over to examine Jones.

Before he reached him, Jack knew that Davy Jones had passed on. But still, Jack rolled the body over and pushed aside the hand that was over his chest. Where the heart should have been was a small hole, and from it leaked a small trail of green blood. Davy Jones' eyes gazed up at the sky with emptiness flooding every inch of them. Jack hung his head solemnly.

"May you rest in peace, mate."

Rising to his feet, Jack then resumed his battle with Beckett, who know sported a bloody nose. Barbossa soon joined in with Jack and his father, but after a few seconds managed to be knocked unconscious by the handle of Beckett's sword.

Meanwhile, Will and Elizabeth kept up their fight with Admiral Norrington. It was during this moment that both Will and Elizabeth realized what the prize really was in this battle: each other. They were not only fighting for freedom, but for the rest of their lives together. And that incentive certainly seemed to be on both their minds as they were relentless in the blows they delivered to Norrington. All three were expertly trained in this field, so what was currently transpiring truly was a sight to behold. All three fighters made their way around the area, jumping on logs, spinning around trees, and incorporating physical violence every chance they could. Norrington especially as he shoved Elizabeth to the ground while knocking Will away. Raising his blade above his head, Norrington slowly went in for the kill.

"And to think that I was once in love with you," he mused.

"I seem to remember agreeing to marry you only because I wanted to save Will's life, not because I was in love with you," Elizabeth shot back.

"Pity," Norrington sneered.

He then raised his sword, prepared to strike his final blow. Suddenly, just in the nick of time, Will swooped in and deflected Norrington's blade with his own. He then kicked Norrington right behind his knees, causing Norrington to sink to them in pain. Will then took Elizabeth's hand and pulled her up. Breathing deeply, Norrington willed his legs to pick his body back up. Without hesitation, he resumed their duel. The three blades crisscrossed in many different ways in midair. Seeing an opening, Will swung his blade across Norrington's chest. But the action only caused the torso of Norrington's Admiral uniform to rip. The tip of Will's sword had only been inches from the flesh. Norrington briefly examined the damage, then continued on.

At the same time, the Sparrows proceeded with their duel with Beckett without any signs of fatigue. Beckett swung furiously, but to no avail. Jack then whipped Jones' sword from his lifeless hand; he was now twice as dangerous. Using both blades to deflect Beckett's measly one, Jack had to grin to himself. Somehow this was all too easy. But as they plowed on, Beckett managed to tear open Jack's right sleeve, which exposed the "P" that was branded on Jack's forearm. Beckett indicated the imprint.

"Even if you do manage to kill me, Jack," Beckett leered, "you will never be rid of me."

"Funny," Jack replied, "the same goes for you, you bloody eunuch. But let me do you one more."

Jack then forcefully kicked Beckett in the chest, the bureaucrat falling on his back. Jack then held Beckett down with his foot as he grabbed hold of Beckett's right arm, tore his sleeve, and used the tip of his sword to carve a "P" of his own onto Beckett's forearm.

"Pirate," Jack grinned down at Beckett.

Letting out a roar of rage, Beckett jumped to his feet and once again engaged both Sparrows in their ongoing epic duel. Beckeet then made it his objective to disarm his opponents, and he turned out successful. James' sword was knocked from his grasp, as was Jack's second weapon.

"Just me and you know," he challenged Jack.

Jack glanced towards his father, who simply raised both his hands.

"I have no objections," said James. "By all means, you have my permission to beat this snob all on your own, son."

Jack gave his father one of usual trademark grins before engaging in the final act of the battle.

Will and Elizabeth certainly had the upper hand now in their duel. Norrington had finally come to realize that he was outmatched. He made many desperate attempts to regain control of the battle, but they all ultimately failed. Will easily managed to send Norrington's blade flying from his grasp. He then kneed him directly in the face, the force of the impact obviously causing a few teeth to become dislodged. Norrington then spat a small amount of blood and teeth from his mouth in anger. Both Will and Elizabeth dragged Norrington over to a thick tree branch and used his own sword to nail his jacket to the tree. Both turned and eyed Jack and Beckett dueling to the death. Replacing their swords within their hilts, they began to make their way over towards the scene. They hadn't gotten very far when they heard the hammer of a pistol being pulled back. Will and Elizabeth turned to see Norrington aiming his gun towards them. He was grinning sinisterly.

"You should have killed me," he criticized them in a voice thick with pain. At the same time, Elizabeth secretly pulled a dagger from behind her back and held it firmly. "So sorry about this." But Norrington's voice carried anything but sorrow.

But before he could even pull the trigger, Elizabeth had launched her dagger in Norrington's direction and the small blade sunk straight into his stomach. "Oh," was all he managed to get out as he fell forward, dead upon impact. Will then grabbed Elizabeth's hand and they both raced over to where Jack and Beckett were currently occupied in their swordfight.

Both Jack's and Beckett's swords moved so fast, that to the naked eye, it was almost impossible to see them. As Jack backed Beckett against a tree, he swung his blade toward Beckett's head, but Beckett easily dodged it. Beckett came up behind Jack and elbowed him in the back, sending Jack forward into the tree. Jack managed to shield his face from any cuts and bruises and then quickly re-engaged Beckett.

A few more minutes passed by, and yet both swordsmen never slowed their pace. Jack's blade suddenly managed to swipe Beckett across his left cheek, leaving a long gash of blood in its wake. Beckett touched the tip of his fingers to the cut and examined the fresh blood that now stained his fingers. He looked to Jack, who merely shrugged.

"Gotta keep up," Jack said simply.

"Now it ends," Beckett seethed through gritted teeth. He then forcefully swung his blade back and forth, swiping at Jack, who dodged it all. Jack suddenly saw an opening and took it as he brought his blade down to Beckett's left leg and swiped. The motion caused another gash in Beckett's skin. Jack proceeded to kick Beckett's sword from his hand. It had just the effect Jack was hoping for as Beckett desperately attempted to catch it, which caused his attention to shift from Jack. The instant Beckett caught his weapon, Jack plunged his own sword deep into Beckett's chest. As Beckett cried out in pain, Jack applied just a little bit more pressure just to be sure.

"This is for piracy," Jack told him.

"Damn you," were the last two words Beckett ever spoke as Jack pulled out his sword from Beckett's chest, which was now covered in his blood. Immediately, Beckett's body fell backwards and hit the grassy ground with a dull thud. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, Jack cleaned off his blade before putting it back into his hilt. He then glanced towards his teammates.

"It's over," Jack said breathlessly.

"Finally," commented Will as he pulled Elizabeth into a long, passionate kiss. James Sparrow approached his son and clapped him on the back.

"Excellent work, son," James said proudly.

"Thanks, Dad," admitted Jack. "That means a lot to me."

Finally, all the stress and trouble that had been inflicted upon everyone recently had been lifted from their shoulders. Jack, Will, and Elizabeth could rest at last. But more importantly, at least to Will and Elizabeth, they could finally have their wedding.

Will walked up to Jack. "Everything isn't over quite just yet. You still have a marriage to perform."

Jack grinned at his good friend. "That I do, mate. That I do."


	27. The Wedding

Chapter 27

Elizabeth once more looked herself over in the full-length mirror in her cabin. She looked beautiful in the wedding dress Jack had given to her. It certainly complemented her body, leaving no feature unnoticed. Smiling, she draped the veil over her face for effect.

"Perfect," she whispered.

The wedding was about to commence in less than twenty minutes. In a short while, she would be married to the man of her dreams. In a short while, she would no longer be Elizabeth Swann; she would be Elizabeth Turner, loving wife of a brave and noble man who would be forever devoted to her no matter what. Will would never stop loving her and Elizabeth would never stop loving him. That was the way it was meant to be. A sudden knock on her door jarred her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she invited.

The door slowly opened, revealing James Sparrow. He had volunteered to be the one who would walk Elizabeth down the aisle. He looked her over and grinned.

"Jack was right," he said, "you do look beautiful in that dress."

"Thank you."

"So, are you ready to go up?"

"Give me a few more minutes." James nodded in understanding and Elizabeth turned back to examine herself one last time.

Meanwhile, Will was up on deck, a wide smile spread across his face. But he couldn't help it. He was about to be married to the woman whom he loved ever since he first laid eyes on her. For years, he had secretly loved Elizabeth, but was forced to conceal the truth due to the fact that she was part of a high-ranking government family and he nothing more than a common blacksmith. But all that had changed five years ago when Elizabeth had been kidnapped by vicious pirates who had stormed the town one night. Will was determined to rescue her and would go to any lengths to get her back. Even to team up with a pirate. Once Elizabeth had been rescued, she herself had realized how close of a friend Will truly was and that deep down inside her, she loved him dearly. Finally, Elizabeth loved Will back. They eventually became engaged, only to have their wedding day ruined by both bad weather and bad men. For quite some time, Will and Elizabeth had been separated, their devotion to each other truly put to the test. But when they had finally been reunited, their relationship had once again faced a serious obstacle. It was then that both Will and Elizabeth realized that along the way, there would be challenges. But if they faced them without fear, without cowardice, then they could overcome them and no force, human or natural, would be able to tear them apart.

Jack walked over to Will, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You nervous," he asked.

Will was able to answer honestly without any hesitation. "No."

"Really," Jack was surprised. "Most other men consider themselves nervous when on the direct verge of marriage."

Will shrugged. "I guess it's just the fact that both Elizabeth and me are destined for each other. Knowing that, I'm able to marry her with nothing but love and confidence on my mind."

"Ah," Jack nodded. "Spoken like a man who truly understands women. So, obviously, it doesn't sound like something I would say."

Will grinned. "But you yourself keep saying you understand female anatomy."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Haven't you ever heard the definition of the term "bragging"?"

Will grinned to himself as Jack walked away. He then turned to gaze at the sunset of World's End. The sight was beautiful. The orange glow bathed the ocean in its light, transforming the deep blue-green into a gorgeous purple. Will and Elizabeth had been right to choose sunset as the time of day to hold their wedding.

Jack was busy walking in circles, gazing up at the sky when Barbossa came up to him.

"You have a moment," he asked Jack.

"Sure," Jack replied.

Barbossa cleared his throat before continuing. "First of all, Jack, I want to thank you for realizing that I've become a changed man and for givin' me a second chance."

Jack waved it off. "Think nothing of it, mate."

"Working together again has truly been an honor. But, uh, I'm afraid I feel the need to go my separate way."

Jack looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

Barbossa took a deep breath. "Well, with Davy Jones dead, the Flying Dutchman is in need of a new captain."

"So, you're gonna take that position, are you?"

"Yes. I'm afraid that being a captain of a vessel has grown on me. I simply just enjoy the rank of power."

Jack grinned. "I can understand that." He paused for a moment. "Well, if that's what you truly want to do, then by all means, go ahead. Everyone has to follow their dreams."

"Too true." Barbossa stuck out his hand and Jack too it. "Jack Sparrow, it's been an honor."

"Same here, Barbossa." They then firmly shook hands.

The sound of wedding music suddenly filled the air. Jack took this as his cue to assume his position at the head of the deck. The rest of the crew, who were standing in the middle, turned to see James coming up on deck along with Elizabeth, who was smiling broadly and looked more beautiful than ever. Will's breath suddenly caught in his throat. Jack leaned toward him.

"Bet you're nervous now, eh," Jack whispered into Will's ear.

"No," Will replied defiantly.

Once James and Elizabeth had reached the front, Elizabeth was handed off to Will with a wink and a grin from James. James then stood beside Bootstrap, whose oceanic features were now gone and had been replaced by his original human ones. He smiled warmly as he watched his son take his future wife's hands in his after pulling back her veil.

Will and Elizabeth couldn't help but smile. This was without a doubt the happiest moment of their lives. They were both too occupied with each other's eyes to pay attention to what Jack was saying. But before they knew it, the words they were waiting for were spoken by Jack.

"Elizabeth, do you take Will to be your husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, til death do you part?"

"I do."

"And Will, do you take Elizabeth to be your wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, til death do you part?"

"I do."

As these lines were spoken, two wedding rings were produced and Will and Elizabeth both slipped them on each other's finger.

"Very well, then. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride, mate."

Will kissed Elizabeth with all the feeling he could muster, Elizabeth returning the same amount of passion. They kissed as they never had before, and they both liked it. The crowd was cheering for them.

"My fellow pirates," Jack announced, "may I present Mr. and Mrs. Turner!"

Will and Elizabeth finally broke apart and smiled broadly at each other. They were finally married, and as they gazed out at the sunset together, they both began to look forward to the rest of their lives together, which would be pirate-free. At least for now.

Jack looked on at them proudly, admiring what he had pieced together. "Now," he said to himself, "bring us that horizon."


	28. Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I truly thank you all who have read and reviewed my first-ever FanFic. The positive feedback was really helpful and kept me going. I am happy that you all enjoyed it so much. This is just the first in a series of "Pirates of the Caribbean" adventures that I have all planned out. The next one is called "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Bermudan Treasure", and I'm about to start writing it very soon.

I find "Pirates" to be the perfect combination of action and adventure, humor, romance, and great characters. Now, if you thought "At World's End" was good, wait until you read my next one.

Anyway, thanks again for the good reviews and I promise to have the first chapter of "Bermudan Treasure" up ASAP.

La z boy


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